A Daughters Duty
by Kalapini
Summary: A year without seeing your friends, your family, is hard, especially for Katara. When her father finally allowed her to return to the Fire Nation and her friends, he left her with a duty and a choice to make.
1. Three Choices

_I could resist the urge anymore and i wrote an Avatar fanfic, theres more to come. I hope you enjoy the story, I'd love some reviews on it or a helpful crit, they are always welcome.  
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**_Ships:_**

_Zutara, Mizula_

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**_Three Choices:_**

"Land on the horizon!"

Katara ran up the stairs to the bow of the ship and hung out over the railing. She could see it, bobbing up and down between the waves. She wondered how much had changed in the time she'd been gone, whether they would all be waiting for her on the pier. She could feel the crew's eyes on her back as she stared over the rails; she sighed and shuffled her feet. Maybe she should have waited until they had arrived before changing into her Fire Nation clothes. They were after all a lot more revealing then the Water Tribes clothes of choice.

'No' she thought to herself. 'If I'm old enough to marry then I'm defiantly old enough to wear what I want to wear.'

They would land soon, the water was moving in their favour, even if it needed a nudge occasionally. She ignored them and went back to her thoughts. It was hard to believe she had been gone for well over a year; everyone would be grown up now. Aang wouldn't be the broken hearted boy she had left behind, he'd be fifteen soon, and so would Toph. Zuko was older then all of them, already a man in his role as Fire Lord. Sokka and Suki were as good as adults as well; maybe her brother had finally asked her to marry him. She smiled at the thought of Suki being her sister and hoped that she hadn't missed the wedding if he had asked. A year was a long time to be gone. Even with their letters going with every incoming ship and hers going out with the next. Sometimes Hawky even mad the flight but in winter the winds had been to strong for him to risk flying in.

"Princess?" The captain was by her side, it was eerie how quiet he moved sometimes.

"I'm not Princess, my name is Katara." She told him, her words snappy; she was tired of repeating that everyday.

"With all due respect Princess your father is the Chief and his daughter holds the title of Princess. We would place our life in place of his, he had our upmost respect and all the loyalty we posses. To give you no title feels an insult to all he has done for us."

"I respect your loyalty to my father, Agwe. But I'm not a Princess; I'm the same as your own daughter, just a girl…just a woman." Katara corrected herself. "Perhaps when I have earned the title I will allow you to call me Princess but until then, please, just Katara."

There was a moment of silence and Katara saw a smile twitch on the Captain's lips. "There is one difference between my daughter and you Miss Katara." Katara smiled softly and turned her head to look at Agwe. "My daughter is married." Upon seeing the scowl on her face Agwe laughed good naturedly. "Any man on this ship would have you, any name back at the poles would have you, and even the men from the Northern Water Tribe would have you."

"The men of the Northern Water Tribe would have me so they might get more then they deserve, the men of my own tribe and of this ship would have me just because of who my father is." Katara told him, his laughter died in the seriousness of her voice. "I am not a fool, nor is my father, he knows I won't be forced into a marriage."

"Pardon me Miss Katara but your father…"

She cut him off, biting back her anger. "My father is my father, as tradition dictates he will choose my husband, I'm aware of the traditions. But I won't be forced to marry just to up someone's status." The boat lurched to the side as the water around the boat churned in answer to her raised emotion.

The captain nodded and began to walk away, pausing only once. "It is not just that you are Princess, Miss Katara. You are possibly the Southern Water Tribes last Bender and you are a creature to behold." He said the words with nothing but honesty in his words, she was his daughter's age after all and he was a happily married man. "Whoever does manage to marry you will be a fortunate man…and a strong one to match yourself."

Katara kept looking out to sea but smiled, he was right. A man who didn't at least match her, if not challenge her would be of no interest. She bent over the side of the boat, enjoying the splash of the water against her skin. Behind her there was the beginning of a wolf whistle that was quickly silence by the sound of someone being cuffed over the head. She shook her head and placed her feet flat on the deck again. It was probably better that she didn't draw attention to herself. The shore was getting closer so slowly that it was making her chest ache. She wanted to see them again, her friends, her other family. She had missed them all year, especially after her father had told her that they weren't visiting because he had told them she needed space. Truthfully he just thought they would influence her choice or that she would just out and out refuse. She had been close to doing that too. Refusing to do as her father had asked, no, not asked, told her to do. It was her duty as the Princess of her tribe and as their last Bender. Sokka was already fulfilling his duty.

"We will arrive at the shore in less then an hour Miss Katara." The captain called from somewhere behind her.

Katara shook her head, that was too long for her to wait. She gripped the rail of the boat and swang her body into the air, tossing her legs over and letting her self drop down. With barely a thought she pulled the water to her, it caressed her skin as it lifted her back to the surface and ahead of the boat. She could hear the crew yell to her but she didn't even turn around. She had offered her help at the start of the long voyage but they had refused, saying it was a mans job. That didn't stop her from coxing the currents to run a little smoother or faster though. What the men didn't know could injure their egos.

With the water on her side she flew forward, moving beyond any speed the boat could match it wouldn't take her long to reach the shore. She shoved the thoughts of her father and her duty from her mind. All she wanted to do was get to the shore, get to the dock. She wanted to see their faces. They would be waiting for her, wouldn't they? For a second the flow of water surging her forward waned with the doubt in her mind but she refused it let it remain. She could see then in her mind, Aang waiting beside Appa, pacing back and forth with Momo on his shoulder. Toph would be standing near the back, further from the water where she could see better. Sokka and Suki would be tangled together, probably sitting in the sand and being lovey dovey. Zuko would be...the picture in her head faltered, would Zuko even be there? He was the Fire Lord; he couldn't just take time off to go and met a friend at the beach.

She sighed, it wasn't going to be the same as before. Aang was the Avatar, fully realised now, he had told her in his letters that Zuko had taught him all he could. He was the Avatar; he was going to be travelling the world making peace where the chaos had created destruction. Zuko would be just as busy getting his people back into order, undoing the damage his father and sister had done. His was probably the hardest task; he had to make the Fire Nation and its people look good to the rest of the world. He had to stop the world from fearing the colour red and hating their gold eyes upon sight. Suki and Sokka would be tangled up together as well, Suki was still hoping to go back to Kyoshi and she wanted Sokka to go with her, it was closer to the South Pole then the Fire Nation at least. It would just be Toph and her, unless Toph went home to her parents. She was so close to the shore now, she could see the edges of houses over the small hills. She desperately searched the shore for any sign of them but it was empty. There was just one person, someone from the Fire Nation. She could see the red of their clothes standing out against the dim sand of the beach. She slowed her pulse, the waves that were being dragged in behind her died just a little, if she left them too big they would wipe out whoever it was on the shore.

"Why aren't they there?" The waves that were pushing her forward ebbed, beginning to fall back into the water. Without her bending she began to sink into the water.

She wasn't far now, she could swim. It gave her time to consider all the reasons they weren't there, she tried to bury her disappointment, telling herself they had gotten the day wrong. The times were different this far away from the poles. She sighed and dove below the water, kicking her legs gently to guide her to the beach.

It was a natural flow in her body that she bent the water to move faster, part of her just joined with the element beyond her conscious thought. She liked it below the surface, in the cool blue of the ocean she let her emotions wash from her. Nothing would be accomplished by bottling them up, especially if they made her angry at her friends when they saw each other in the first time in a year. She brushed the surface of the water every few minutes, taking deep breaths just as her lips brush the air above.

Slowly the ground below her drew closer until she could stand with her head and shoulder above the water. The Fire Nation figure was still on the beach; she sighed and began to step out of the water. Bending the moisture from her clothes as soon as they were above the waves, she didn't need them to cling anymore then they did. After a year of growing her fire nation outfit was in sore need of replacing.

"Katara!" A voice called to her, she turned to face him, she knew that voice.

"Zuko!" Katara laughed and ran across the beach; sand flew up from her feet.

She launched herself at him when she was close enough, clutching her friend tight. He laughed softly and hugged her back. "I didn't think any of you were…" She trailed off, not wanting to say that they didn't care.

"Aang was called away a few days ago, Bumi wanted his help. Toph is with her parents, who insisted that she come to dinner with them and needed the proper clothing for such. Sokka and Suki have been visiting Kyoshi Island, they were meant to be back today." Zuko gently pushed her back and looked her over, his tense smile faded slowly to a true one. "I didn't think you would like to come to an empty beach after a year."

Katara shook her head, she could feel tears well in her eyes and she snuggled back against him. "I missed you all so much; it was weird not having my family with me" She sighed and finally let him go.

Stepping back in the sand she looked at him, taking in a year's difference. He was taller, broader, it was clear he was still training just as hard. His hair was just as shaggy and unkempt as it had been, just a longer now and those few stray strands still hung over his forehead. There were dark patches under his eyes, like he hadn't been sleeping, her eyes were drawn to his scared cheek, as they always had been. Something in her chest thudded as she looked at his gold eyes, she smiled to herself and looked away. Her eyes moved to his chest of their own accord, the scar she had given him lay underneath his shirt. She extended her hand and gently lay it over the spot the scar sat.

"Is it still bad?" She looked up at his face, she may be taller but she still had to lift her head to meet his eyes.

Zuko grimaced, his mouth shifting into a frown. "The Fire Nation's best healers have had their turns looking at it and poking me."

"You didn't answer my question Zuko." She said softly, he sighed and shook his head. "It's my fault you have it so just tell me!."

Zuko took her hand from over his scar and moved it to over his heart. "No, it was you who brought me back, Azula did this to me." He let her hand go and looked out to the sea. "Where's the ship?" He looked sideways at her.

"I left it out there." She made a face when Zuko raised his eyebrows at her. "What! They wouldn't even let me bend the water to help the boat go faster, they'll get here eventually."

Zuko laughed. "I see you haven't changed." He turned away from the sea and began walking inland, Katara followed him. "I'll have my envoys wait for them, I'm sure you're tired after the journey and you'd…"

"I'm not actually, I couldn't wait to get here and see everyone after not being allowed to see you all." Katara caught sight of a small convey on the edge of the beach, there were two Komodo Rhinos with soldiers mounted on them and a single Mongoose Dragon without a rider. Beside the Rhinos there was a small carriage. Two people stood apart from the soldiers.

"I'll take you to the palace, you can rest…" Katara went to interrupt but Zuko silenced her with a wave of his hand. "Or you can explode the grounds and see what we have been doing while you've been gone…" There was a moment's pause and he looked at her again, clearing his throat. "And perhaps change clothes."

Before Katara could speak the two men came striding towards them, gesturing and speaking. Zuko was nodded as though he could hear them but Katara could hear only bits and pieces of what they were saying. When they reached the pair rather then stop them both moved to walk beside Zuko, still speaking to him. Katara could hear Earth Benders, and destruction in their quick words. They didn't stop speaking or even seem to noticed Katara until they reached the convey itself. Only then did they bow to her, faces lit with tense smiles.

"Lady Katara, a pleasure it is to meet you." One clutched her hand, planting a kiss on the back before she could pull it away.

"Indeed, a great pleasure." The other snatched her hand and kissed it as well.

Katara fought back the feeling of slight disgust and embarrassment and smiled thinly. "It is a pleasure to meet you both." She pulled her hand from the second ones grip and took a slight step back.

They lifted their heads and followed her movement, she didn't like the way they looked at her. "Li, Chin, you will remain here and welcome the Water Tribe member to our land and escort them to the palace. Lady Katara and I will go ahead of you." Zuko told them and swept a hand around Katara, leading her towards the Mongoose Dragon. Behind them Li and Chin were muttering softly, Zuko release Katara and went to speak to the Soldiers on the Rhinos.

Katara looked nervously at the Mongoose Dragon, the only time she had been one was when they were being chased by Azula. A memory that didn't make it any easier for her to follow Zuko when he mounted it, motioning for her to follow. She look dubiously at the scaled creature, it stared back at her with large yellow eyes.

"You're not afraid are you Katara?" Zuko leaned towards her, extending his hand to her as he did so.

She scoffed and took his arm, pulling herself into the saddle behind him. The Dragon reared up onto legs, Katara clutched desperately at Zuko, her hand wrapping around his waist. She pulled herself closer to him; the Dragon launched forward, speeding away on its back legs.

"How can you ride this thing?" Katara leant her head on Zuko's shoulder and spoke into his ear, making sure he could hear her.

"You get used to it." Zuko smiled, they rode in silence for a few moments. Katara watched the edge of the city blow past as the Dragon raced along the road. "Are you going to tell me why your father took you away?" He asked, turning his head to try and see her.

"I…" Katara started and faltered, what was she meant to tell him.

"I didn't you would want to talk about it with the soldiers around." He said when she returned to silence. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." He added.

"It's not that!" She snapped and frowned, he always brought out the worst in her. "I just…I'm not sure _how _to tell you." Zuko waited. "My father called me away because he want's me to complete a duty he claims is mine, he wants me to marry."

"You are of marrying age, over it actually." Zuko nodded, Katara frowned, she had a feeling he had just called her old in a roundabout way. "You knew he would want you to marry soon, it's the way the world works. Your Tribe is run by the men, marrying off their daughter is part of a father's life…I didn't think Hakoda would do that to you though."

"Well he is. He's given me three choices and wants me to pick one before the end of the season." Katara scowled, her anger bubbling to the surface.

"Who?" Zuko's voice didn't hold any of the shock she had hoped it would.

"Aang, a warrior from the Northern Water Tribe that I've never met, and…" Katara paused, pushing herself back in the saddle and making space between them. "You."


	2. Catching Up

As always enjoy and i appreciate every review i get :) (sorry forgot to add this the first time ^-^")

**Ships**

Zutara. Kaatang, Mizula**  
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**_Catching Up:_**

"Me?" Zuko laughed. "You and I would never work Katara."

Katara blushed and pulled her arms from around his waist, clutching the back of the saddle instead. "I never said I was going to choose you!"

Zuko didn't seem to hear the irritation and embarrassment in her voice. "What about Aang? You were together before you left even after a year apart I presume you still have feelings for one another." Zuko pulled the Dragon to a halt in front of the palace, a servant raced over to collect the animal's reins.

Zuko jumped gracefully from the saddle and looked up at Katara, a smirk on his face as she looked at the ground. He offered her his hand and she glared at him, refusing to take his hand. She swang her legs to the same side and simply slid down the animal to the ground. She instantly knew why Zuko had jumped rather then slid; the animals scales had felt like sand paper against her bare back. Zuko smirked at her again and took her gently by her arm, leading her up the stairs to the wide double doors. The last time she had been here Zuko was pronounced Fire Lord and the Nations accepted Aang as the Avatar. Now though, the halls were simple, the floor lined with rugs and parchments or paintings upon the walls. No lanterns or Fire Nation banners hung from the wall, Katara wondered what they did with all the decorations.

Katara waited until they had walked some distance within the building, and until the servants were out of sight. "I can't choose Aang, I ended it, before I knew I was leaving." She didn't look at him when she spoke; it had broken her heart to tell Aang she didn't love him like she thought she had. Zuko didn't need to see the shame on her face.

"He never said why you…" Zuko trailed off, Katara peeked out from under her hair to see him looking at her.

"I couldn't pretend I loved him." She bit her lip. "I thought I did, but I was wrong." She continued before he could interrupt again. "I couldn't lead him on, it wasn't fair, and he deserves to be happy with someone. I'm not that someone, I wasn't that someone."

"Is it possible you could love him now? He's changed while you've been gone, grown up like the rest of us." Zuko peered at her and gave her half a smile. "Maybe you woke him up Katara, the Avatar can't be a child for long."

"Maybe but I hurt him Zuko, he's not going to forgive me that easily."

Zuko nodded and they walked in silence for a minute before he spoke. "Mia broke up with me." Katara flicked her hair away from his face, shocked at the anger in his voice. She would expect a little, but not like this, it was like he was talking about his father. "She didn't tell me that we were broken up but it wasn't hard to figure out after she tried to break Azula out of prison." His voice was raw.

"I'm sorry Zuko, how long ago did…?" She wrapped her arms around his, taking his hand in hers as she did. Zuko's emotions were volatile and his actions normally followed suit. If anyone could calm him she could, it had always been that way.

"Two months ago. She…there wasn't even any signs, she just did it." He shook his head like he still didn't understand it. "She left me in the middle of the night." Katara tried not to think about what they had been doing. "No one noticed her leaving my rooms or even the grounds. You know what she's like, the guard never suspected, how could they? I didn't even expect it and I was her boyfriend, the Fire Nation thought they had the next Fire Lady." He took a deep breathe closing his eyes for a moment. "She disposed of the guards and released Azula, I think, now, that she was working for her the whole time. Just waiting for the right moment to…" He looked at Katara; she smiled reassuringly and squeezed his hand. "They didn't get far. Azula didn't want to run she just wanted revenge so she came for me."

"She got past all the guards?" Katara shivered at the thought of Azula loose and attacking Zuko again. That night still gave her nightmares.

"She climbed the roof and used the passages that the guards don't know about, the ones the servants don't know about. She almost had me; I was still asleep and…" He grimaced, his free hand touching his chest. "She went right for the same spot, just when I had just gotten all my movement back. She went down in the end, Toph felt the fight and woke Aang, and they came to rescue me. They didn't expect to see her though; it took the three of us to take her down. It was like her madness had made her stronger, even stronger then she was that night." Zuko met Katara's eyes, she could see pain deep in them and she was sure that it was in her eyes as well. Zuko stopped in front of a pair of tall doors. "But she's nothing to worry about anymore."

"Zuko you…your sister? I know she's Azula and she's terrorised us for years…" Katara turned her body to face him.

"No, I couldn't bring myself to do it, just like I couldn't kill my father. I asked Aang to take her bending away; she can't summon anything anymore, no fire, no heat. Though I'm not even sure she remembers who she is any more, the fight knocked everything out of her." Zuko shrugged then sighed.

"They can't get their bending back?" Katara asked, knowing the answer but wanting to hear it anyway.

Azula's face haunted her dreams, bloodstained, Zuko's blood or Aang's blood. Always anyone but her was hurt and in the dreams she did save them, they didn't come back like Zuko had. Ozai even haunted her and she'd never met him, only seen him in Aang's memories when she had healed him after their fight. Katara looked at Zuko. His long sleeved deep red shirt with gold trim and darker red pants, pointy shoes that she had never really understood, her mind registered these colours, these clothes with him but they had been Ozai's once as well. Her eyes travelled from the sash wrapped around his waist to the high collar of his shirt, up to his gold eyes and the bun his messy hair refused to stay in. He didn't look like his father at all, at least not from the memories Aang had shared with her. Ozai was meticulous in his hair, his clothes, everything neatly in place, and his eyes weren't the true gold, they were murky. Zuko wouldn't become his father.

"Katara? Did you hear me?" Zuko's hand brushed her cheek and she blinked, pulled from her thoughts. She nodded. "You'll find clothes already in your room, you should find something that suits you and there is a bath adjoining." He studied her for a moment. "Are you sure you're ok?"

Katara nodded again and smiled. "Just glad to be back."

He frowned but nodded at her and watched her walked through the doors to her room. Katara leaned back against the door as soon as it clicked shut. She'd forgotten how good Zuko looked; she shook her head and tutted to herself. She was Aang's girl, or at least she had been. It was hard to forget that sometimes. She looked around the room to distract herself, it worked. The room was bigger the ten igloo's put together, even the bed was massive. She smiled when she looked at it; the blankets were shades of blue rather then red. Even though she had only just gotten back her heart panged at the familiar colour, she wondered when Sokka would be back. She paced across the room to a door, her fingers working her hair from its plait. She reached out to the door and pushed it open, a laugh escaped her lips. She had expected the bathroom but she was staring at clothes, endless rows of clothes. She ran her fingers over the fabric of the closest dress, it was cool and silky. This was more clothes then anyone in her Tribe would own in their life. After some gazing in wonder she pulled herself back out of the wardrobe and went to the door beyond it, this time it was the bathroom.

"This can't be real." Katara whispered as she looked around.

There was a deep, gold, bath, it was almost a pool. She looked past it to the shower, or what she thought was the shower. It looked like someone had built a waterfall into the bathroom, though no water was running down it. It was like a small rock wall, but she could see some taps designed against the rock. With a smile she shed her clothes and turned the taps. She sighed as she stepped into the water, she had had the advantage of being able to bend water to shower while they had been travelling, and even back home but this water was warm. That was one thing she couldn't do with the water, not that she understood why since she could turn to ice why couldn't she heat it? She closed her eyes and looked up into the stream, her fingers worked through her hair to pull out the stubborn knots. When she was as clean as she could get she reluctantly turned the water off and stepped out.

Katara grabbed a towel from a shelf near the bath and wrapped it around her body. It was warm as well, strangely. Checking that the towel would stay up she picked up another and began to dry her hair; it always took some time to accomplish. When she had been home Hakoda had wanted her to cut it shorter, to around her shoulder. She gazed around the room until she found a mirror; it was against the same wall as the door. She gave her hair one more fluff with the towel, using her bending to pull most of the water from it and went to stand in front of it. Her hair was touching her waist now, and it had become darker from living at the pole, without the touch of the sun to lighten it. She put her hands on her hips and looked at herself. While she had been home countless men had asked her father for her hand, but even when he had consented she had refused them. She had grown up with all the men her age and none of them interested her, and she didn't even consider the older men. They had made her realise something though, she was attractive. It was strange to think about herself as attractive, she knew that she looked like her mother and her mother had been beautiful but it had never really occurred to Katara that she might be beautiful as well.

Her body had filled out while she was home, her hips were a little wider, her chest was a little bigger. She was still, by no means, the curviest in her Tribe but compared to the other Nations she felt it. They were the curves of cold weather she supposed and all her training kept the curves from really developing, but she didn't like the way her hips swayed when she walked or the way men stared at her chest. What she would give some days to be have the figure of a normal, Fire Nation girl. She frowned at herself; you always want what you don't have. She turned away from the mirror and walked back to the wardrobe. She pushed the door opened and laughed again, at least this was going to be fun.

"What am I mean to choose?" She asked herself and leant against the doorframe.

"I can help." Suki's voice made Katara jump, she spun around to see her sitting on the bed.

"Don't sneak up one me! You know I hate it when people do that! You should know…" Katara trailed off as Suki watched her with a smile when it suddenly occurred to Katara. "Your back!" Katara raced to the bed, as fast as she could without losing the towel anyway, and pulled Suki up into a hug. Suki laughed.

"I thought I would come and get you before your brother bursts in here, he was going to, even after Zuko said you were probably in the shower." Katara rolled her eyes but smiled, pushing Suki back to look at her. They were about the same height now, Suki hadn't grown but her hair had. She had it tied back in a single ponytail, it reached past her shoulder blades. "I convinced him it wasn't the best idea he's ever had, god know he's had a few." Suki laughed and hugged Katara again. "It's so good to see you!"

"I missed you too Suki." Katara grinned and Suki looked past her to the wardrobe, Katara followed her look. "I swear it was that full when Zuko gave me the room."

"Well come on! It's like owning your own shop!" Suki took Katara's hand and dragged her deep into the wardrobe.

Suki browsed around the rows of clothes while Katara found bindings for her chest and legs. When she was done Suki already had a pile of clothes waiting for her to try on, on after the other. It took them what felt like forever to find something that Katara liked. It was a strapless, deep red dress that rested just below her knees. Suki said something about it hugging all the right places, which made Katara, find something to wear over the top. A sleeveless coat, lighter red then the dress and trimmed all around the edge with gold, it hung down close to touching her ankles. Suki complained for a moment about it ruining the look before she sighed and agreed it looked good. Together they found a long, thin sash. It was a little bit darker then the dress. Suki wound it around Katara's waist, keeping the coat in place and tied it in a complicated knot that tucked into the rest so it was hidden.

"Are we done now?" Katara asked when Suki dragged her back into the bathroom to look in the mirror, she had to admit it looked good.

"Almost." Suki grinned and held out her hands. In one was a pair of sandals, identical to the ones Katara already had but new. In the other were bracelets, the kind that are made to sit on your upper arm not your wrist, they were simple gold bands but they had to have been expensive.

"Why are you trying so hard to make me look good?" Katara eyed her friend suspiciously.

Suki blushed and ducked her head. "No reason…"

"Suki." Katara sighed. "Tell me why, please?"

"Sokka knew why your father called you away, Hakoda told him before he sent for you." Suki smiled regrettably at Katara. "I wasn't meant to tell you, Sokka thought you would be angry."

Katara suppressed the retort on her lips and strode past Suki. "Where is he?" She asked as Suki hurried after her, Suki didn't speak but pointed down the hall.

"You know what he's like Katara, Sokka thinks all woman need a man to take care of them. Especially his sister." Suki rolled her eyes. "He's just as bad with me, even after I kick his butt in training. It's just how he was raised."

"I know how my brother was raised Suki, I was there. All the men in the Tribe are like that, but Sokka should know better! I'm a Water Bending Master, I can whip him to the ground in an instant. He had no right to keep this from me." Katara growled, her brother was stupid at times, times like these. Katara hated it when he kept things from her because she was a girl, even after the years of seeing her beat most opponents she came up against he still didn't think that she deserved to know what her father had planned for her.

"He didn't really, you father called for you a few months laster so…"

"Months?" Katara froze and glared at Suki. Suki snapped her mouth shut. "Where. Is. Sokka?" Suki pointed at a door to the left.

Katara threw open the doors and her eyes fell immediately on Sokka. He looked at her in surprise, the smile that appeared faded as fast as it had materialized. Katara swept her hands over her hair, collecting every particle of moisture she had missed drying it. The water flexed between her hands and just as Sokka rose to his feet she sliced one had through the air towards him. Half the slipt off and flew towards him, it slammed him back towards the wall.

"What's wrong with you!" Sokka gasped and steadied himself against the wall.

Katara scowled at him and pulled the water from the cups Zuko had on the table, her ball of water grew steadily bigger. Sokka looked at Zuko but as he went to open his mouth Katara flung the water towards him. It pressed him against the wall and froze, the ice covered his upper chest and arms. It left his legs to flail helplessly in the air.

"Katara, what are you doing? We just got back; I haven't seen you in a year! Have you gone nuts!" Sokka struggled to no avail.

Katara stared at him, her rage still storming on her face. She wasn't listening to what he was saying; all she could hear was the blood pounding in her ears. All she could think was how dare he, how could he. It most important choice of her life, her future and he hadn't even warned her. She brought her hands up again, pulling the tiny amount of water that was left in the room. She bent it to form a rough ball of ice and let it fly. The ice didn't even make it half way across the room; it disappeared in a flash of fire and steam. Hands took hers and pulled her from the bending stance.

"Katara." Zuko said her name gently and stepped in front of her, cutting Sokka from her sight. "You need to stop." She followed his arms up to his face and bit her lip.

Tears bubbled in her eyes as she realised what she had really done to her brother but her anger didn't fade. "He knew all along, he knew I was going to have the choice taken from me!" Katara ripped her hands from Zuko's and wrapped her arms around herself.

"Are you alright?" Katara could hear Suki asking Sokka as well as a scraping noise. She closed her eyes and flicked her hand towards the wall, in a movement of her fingers the ice melt and fell away. "Sokka, I don't think that's the best idea!" Suki's voice was immediately closer but Katara didn't look up or open her eyes.

"What were you playing at Katara!" Sokka was right in front of her but he still screamed the question. "You could have hurt me, or Suki! Were you even in control? What right do you have to just do that with out tell me?"

"What right? What right!" Katara opened her eyes and shoved him back. "I have every right! You knew, how could you not tell me!"

"Tell you what?" It has always taken Sokka longer then a normal person to catch on.

"You knew Dad was going to marry me off! You knew before I even got his letter, you knew he was going to take choice from me, you knew he was going to control my future!" Katara resisted the urge to push him again.

"You were always going to marry Katara, it's what women do! They get married to the husband their father picks for them."

Katara's eyed widened, she glanced at Suki who looked like she was beginning to feel as pissed as Katara was. "I will choose my own husband." She told him, he opened his mouth to speak again and she cut him off. "Neither you or Dad has the right to tell me who to marry, I don't care if you are the men and its meant to be my daughterly duty to marry whomever you choose for me. It's my life and it's going to be my choice." Without another work she stormed out of the room, not looking back when Suki called out to her.


	3. Understanding

_I always appropriate every review or fav i get so thank you guys in advance! Hope you enjoy :D This one took a little longer because I've been working nights and i normally write at night, next one should be quicker.  
_

**Ship:**

Sukka, Kataang (sorta), Zutara, Taang

* * *

**_Understanding:_**

Katara couldn't go back to her room because they could find her there so she walked straight past it. The corridors were like a maze that didn't seem to have an end. The tears she had kept from falling in front of everyone were now trickling down her cheeks. She couldn't believe he had done this, even with all his old fashion ideas about women. Eventually the corridors led her out into the fading sunlight, it was an old garden. Not as well taken care of as it should have been but there was a pond with a cherry blossom tree looming over it, just those two things made it wonderful to Katara. She kicked her shoes off and left them by the door, the grass tickled her feet pleasantly as she walked through it. After living most of her life in snow the feeling of grass against her skin never annoyed her like it did some people, it soothed her. Mostly because the grass was alive and growing and so little had grown at her village. Katara settled against the tree and tucked her knees up to her chest, resting her forehead on them. It was here under the tree, in the grass that she let her anger ripple out onto the small pond. The water began to dip and rise with her breathing, creating mini waves on the surface.

"The Turtle Ducks won't like that." The grass beside her crunched as he sat down, keeping space between them, they had always had a wordless agreement of a boundary between them.

"How did you find me?" Katara asked softly, not sure if he could even hear her with her face tucked away.

"I didn't actually." She turned her head to glare at him and Zuko gave her half a smile. "I came out here to think but when I saw your shoes sitting on the grass…I was going to turn around a let you be alone." He looked away from her and out over the water, the Turtle Ducks were emerging from the tall reeds.

"So why didn't you?" Katara watched his face darken; she could see sadness etching itself into his features. She was so used to seeing anger in him but sadness, especially of this kind, was worse then any of his rages.

"Because when Azula picked fights with me, when she burnt me or cut me…our father…he praised her for hurting me, actually gave her gifts when she drew blood. Can you believe that…?" Zuko's anger burnt through his voice and when he looked over at Katara his eyes were glazed over in suppressed rage. She had felt heat seeping from his body when he had began speaking and she was waiting for fire of some kind to appear. "He rewarded his daughter for hurting his son." Katara reached out to touch his cheek but he flinched away. "That's not what I was…" He sighed, his body seemed to fold into itself to make him smaller. "What I meant to say was that when that happened, when I was angry I used to come here too and sit by myself. I hated it, being so angry and feeling completely alone at the same time." He ran a shaking hand through his hair, slipping the tie that held the knot on his head away. His hair brushed across his neck, fluttering a little in the wind.

"Your not alone anymore Zuko, you've got Iroh and you've got us." Katara stared at the side of his face, waiting for him to turn and look at her, but he didn't. "Azula and Ozai are locked away, they can't bend, and nothing's going to happen to you."

Zuko nodded and forced a smile. "Enough about me, I'm meant to be making you feel better." The smile on his face was still clearly forced but Katara let him change the subject. "Are you still angry with Sokka?"

"Do you really need to ask?" Katara narrowed her eyes as the anger resurfaced.

"No, not really, you're a little like me like that. Especially with the explosion back there, god knows I've exploded at Uncle more then once."

"I was just so angry, I couldn't stop myself, then I didn't want to stop myself." Katara shook her head and wrapped her arms around herself. "The last time I was that angry it was with…"

"Me?" Zuko guessed and Katara gave one nod. "I remember those days, I really pissed you off." He watched her arms tighten around her body. "I deserved it, Katara, I was trying to kill you."

"You wouldn't have killed me." She told him, he blinked in surprise, a slow smile spreading across his face.

"Yeah, you're probably right, but how could you have know that then?"

She didn't answer him, she was thinking about being down in the cave with him again. She had almost used the spirit water to heal his face, what if she had done it and Azula had still gotten Aang. There would have been no Avatar. Katara shuddered at the thought; Zuko might have never turned his back on his father and helped them. She studied his face; she could still see the anger lying just below the surface.

Her eyes trailed to his scared eye. "Would you have…"

"Katara!" Sokka's call cut her off, Katara spun to her feet and took several steps back. The water in the pond was more then enough to freeze Sokka for a while, her fingers itched to move into the familiar patterns but then she remembered Zuko talking about the Turtle Ducks.

"Walk away Katara, before you hurt him." She looked down and met Zuko's eyes. "You'll regret it later." She took a deep breath and let it out, calming herself, just a little.

"Stay away from me Sokka." She hissed at him as she walked past, pausing only to pick up her shoes before going back inside the palace.

Sokka looked at Zuko and held out his hands. "I didn't do anything that bad."

Zuko shook his head, though he liked Sokka he was agreeing with Katara on this. "You knew her choice was going to be taken from her Sokka, you're her brother, she trusted you. If you were told that you had to marry someone you didn't know you would be angry as well." Zuko stood up, smiling slightly; he was beginning to sound like Uncle.

"She does have to marry someone she doesn't know! She could marry you or Aang! Besides that wont happen to me, I'm a man I get to decide who I marry." Sokka crossed his arms.

"I think that's her point." Zuko began to walk past then paused beside him. "I would have thought by now that Suki taught you that women aren't as helpless as you think they are, they can make their own choices in life."

Sokka looked at Zuko in surprise and his face turned red in shame. "It's different, she's my little sister."

Zuko shrugged and began to walk away, calling over his shoulder. "Even when she's forty she'll be your little sister, does she have to get permission from you to make a choice then too?" He glanced over his shoulder but Sokka didn't answer, he just stood there with his shoulders hunched.

Katara stayed in her room, even when a servant told her dinner was served. She couldn't risk seeing Sokka again and actually hurting him, even if she wanted to, just a little. It would teach him that she wasn't helpless at least, maybe. He was so set in his ways even after all the different people they had met. She sighed and rolled into her side, pulling her arms and legs close to her body.

"Katara?" Suki's voice came through the door.

"I don't want to see him." Katara called back but the door opened anyway. "I'm serious, I don't want to see him, and I don't want to talk to him Suki. Just give me some time to cool off enough that I won't attack him."

"He's not with me Katara, I think Zuko got through to him." Katara could feel Suki sit on the side of the bed. She kept looking at the blue blanket. "I know you probably don't want me to ask this but…Is it really that bad? You have to choose from Aang, who you've already been in a relationship with and he's cute. Zuko, who you're good friends with and he's hot even with the scar. And a Water Tribe Warrior, you might not have met him but he's gotta be hot as well, most warriors seem to be." Suki shoved Katara's shoulder lightly, even though Katara didn't really want to be cheered up the last part made her smile.

She rolled onto her other side, Suki lay down beside her. "I broke up with Aang, I can't just ask him to marry when I told him that I didn't love him. And Zuko would look weird without his scar, its part of him, I can't ask him either." Katara sighed. "I can't marry someone I've never met, I just couldn't." She looked at Suki. "Who would you pick?"

Suki frowned and bit her lip.

"Suki, I don't know what to do, I don't even know if I can pick any of them."

Suki sighed. "I would pick Zuko, _if_ I was you. You and Zuko get along well, it would help with bring peace and all that plus…" She trailed of and Katara raised and eyebrow, waiting for her to finish. "Ok, you two have chemistry, major chemistry, not like you and Aang had. That was cute but this…Maybe it's from hating each other before hand." Suki mused.

"Zuko and I do not have chemistry." Katara said flatly but it didn't stop all the memories from flashing through her mind.

She had been through a lot with Zuko. The cave in Ba Sing Se was where it had all started, the first connection she had had with him. Until he had betrayed her, betrayed all of them. Katara sighed, no one but them really knew what had happened in the caves and half the time Katara wasn't really sure. But she knew that was the start of her trusting him, even after he help Azula she still trusted him, hoped he would turn back into the boy that had shown himself in the cave, maybe that was why it had hurt so much. It had taken his wiliness to traverse the Fire Nation in search of her mother's killer to make her believe she had been right all along; it had just taken him longer to figure it out.

Suki shrugged. "You wanted my opinion, that's my opinion, like it or not. Even if you decide to choose Aang over Zuko you can't be sure he's going to just marry you. It's been a year Katara, it took him a long time to get over you and now your considering turning face again." She shook her head. "It's not fair to him."

Katara nodded and smiled thinly. "I know, that's why I'm not going to ask Aang, I couldn't do it. Maybe I should just pick the guy from the Northern Water Tribe; I've never met him so there's no past to worry about."

Suki laughed softly. "You just said that you couldn't marry someone you've never met!"

"I know what I said, but Suki…" Katara closed her eyes, a trailed down her face. "I don't know what I'm meant to do."

Suki shuffled closer and hugged Katara with one arm. "You'll think of something Katara. Can't you just tell your Hakoda that you can't do this?"

"I tried, I told him for months that I wouldn't marry someone he just paraded in front of me but he still tried. I met every eligible man in my Tribe Suki, some of them were twice my age! He's trying to fix a world that was torn apart and he thinks that by giving away my hand it will help." Katara took a deep breath. "I turned them all down, every single one. That was when he told me if I wouldn't pick on of them then I only had three choices."

"Why are men from the Water Tribes so damn sexist!" Suki demanded.

"It's the way their raised. They are taught from birth that women need me to hunt for them, build a home for them, and keep them warm. Sokka was taught the same thing but I thought he had gotten better, I mean he's got you as his girlfriend, Toph has kicked his butt more times then I can remember and I…I." Katara paused, her mind going back to just a few hours before when she had used her bending against her brother. She opened her eyes; Suki was watching her patiently with just a hint of sympathy on her face.

"He has to learn your not helpless, I had to teach him the hard way, maybe you have to as well."

"Maybe." Katara fell silent and Suki didn't reply.

It was eerie, the silence in a room this big, it seemed to echo off the wall and intensify. Then there was a sound, muffled, distorted but a sound none the less. As Katara listened in more sounds followed, thumps and thuds a few crunches here and there. She looked at Suki, but the other girl gave no sign of having heard the sounds. Katara rolled onto her back them sat up, the sounds were defiantly there.

"What is that?" She looked down at Suki.

"What's what?" Suki asked and propped herself up on an elbow. "Oh, you mean all those thuds?" Katara nodded, still listening to them. "That's just Zuko, you get used to it after a while."

"What's he doing?"

Suki sat up and shrugged. "I don't know, none of us have bothered to ask and since he never offered and explanation we figured it was something he wanted to keep to himself."

"It sounds like he's training." Katara mused quietly; Suki rolled her head and looked at her. "I used to spar with him…and Aang."

Suki smiled slyly. "Maybe you should go and spar with him now."

Katara sighed, though she wished she could she wasn't going to it under Suki's suggestion. The girl already seemed smug over her ideas of Katara and Zuko already. Such ideas, although Katara couldn't deny that she had thought about it, being with Zuko. He was older then her but that couldn't be as bad as Aang, he was so young. He wasn't even of marrying age yet, when he'd kissed her before the invasion he said he'd loved her but he was wrong. He might have been one-hundred and twelve years old but he thought like a twelve year old. Twelve year olds didn't understand love, even though he had been forced to grow up so much more then a normal child in the time they had known each other. Being the Avatar had more then one price.

"Suki?" Katara looked at her friend.

"Hmm?" Suki smiled but her face fell when she took in Katara. She was hunched over with her arms around her knees.

"Why are you so eager to get me together with Zuko? What was wrong with Aang?" Katara asked softly.

Suki slid across the bed and threw her arms over Katara's shoulder. "This is why Katara, your beating yourself up over Aang when you couldn't do anything but what you did. He was never the one you could love for the rest of your life and he wouldn't have loved you for the rest of his life. Look at me and tell me you love him, tell me you could love him like I love your brother." Suki held Katara's face and forced her to meet her eyes but Katara looked away. "You can't." Suki sighed and waited until Katara looked at her again. "He was too young, before he kissed you that first time wasn't he like your little brother?"

Katara stared for a moment before nodding, Suki's hands slipped from her face.

"Then why did you kiss him in Ba Sing Se?"

"I thought I loved him, I thought I was going what I wanted to do…"

"But?"

"I never loved him like that." Katara sighed softly, it was almost true. She had loved him, believed she had loved him at least, when she'd kissed him but as time went on her belief faded.

"Then try something with Zuko." Suki nudged her.

"No." Katara shook her head firmly. "I don't love Zuko like that, I never have."

Suki sighed and threw her hands up in the air. "There's something between you two, even if you won't admit it." She got up and walked to the door, pausing with her and on the handle. "At least I think there is."

Katara didn't answer her and Suki left. Katara slid from the bed and walked over to the wall the sounds were coming through, they were still coming through. She hesitated for a moment, lingering beside the wall and listening to Zuko firebend. It only took her a few moments of listening to make up her mind, she raced into the wardrobe and pulled off the outfit Suki had found her and looked around. She pulled a on a pair of dark red pants, the hand just below her knees and with quick hands she covered the remaining bare skin on her legs with white wraps. The wrapping was a little loose but she was trying to move fast. It took her a few more seconds to find a dark red halter neck top and put it on. White wrist bracers were next, and she slipped of her shoes, not bothering to replace them. The outfit left her arms and legs mostly free of restriction, it was easier to bend that way. She made her way back to her bed and grabbed the tie for her hair. Her hands moved fast to pull the loose hair over her face to the top of her head and into a knot. During their time in the fire nation Katara had learnt to do this quickly, it was almost a habit now, even when she'd been back at the Southern Water Tribe she had worn it like this. It had gotten her quite a few strange looks until she finally returned to her hair loopies, but the topknot was still faster to do.

She ran out the door, grabbing her water skin on her way out. It wasn't hard to follow the sounds to Zuko's room; it was only a few doors away from her own. She didn't bother knocking, he wouldn't hear it even if she had, and instead she just pushed the doors open. Zuko was in the middle of a form, fire streamed from his hands into the air, sweat was beading down his bare chest. Katara wondered briefly if it was from the fire or just the physical workout. Her eyes settled on his torso, it was wrapped tightly, guilt coursed through Katara. It might not be her fault this time but the first hit he had taken was her fault. He moved steadily, ever motion was calculated and controlled, it was relaxing to watch. Katara leaned against the door frame to watch him, he didn't seem to have noticed her standing there, or perhaps he was simply concentrating. Zuko drew in a long breath, drawing his hands to his chest, placing them palm to palm and closing his eyes. With the movement the fire in the room faded in the air, leaving no trace. As he let the breath out through his mouth flames cascaded from his, they streamed over his hands, dancing around them for a moment before fading away as well.

"Is there something you want Katara?" Zuko spoke finally, without opening his eyes. Katara smiled, with one hand she pulled the doors closed, with the other she popped the cap on her water skin.


	4. Release

Always thanks for reviews and favs and such, i stayed up waaay to late to get this one done for ya so now im going to sleep xD Night!

_**Ships:**_

Zutara

* * *

**Release:**

A smile snuck over Zuko's face as Katara pulled the water out and let it float between her hands, the soft blue glow reflected off her necklace and cast a blue circle on the floor between them. Katara smiled as well, she remembered their sparring matches fondly. Even before Zuko had joined them, it had almost a strange sort of joy to fight him, it pushed her to be better every time they fought, and it always ended differently. Katara's feet slid silently on the floor to a stance the she had learnt while she was away, one that Zuko didn't know. She lifted one hand, pulling the majority of the water with her movement; it arced in the air, spreading rapidly towards him. He spun on his feet, flattening his body to the ground, unleashing a short burst of flames from his bared feet to meet her water. The elements met in a gush of steam, filling the room with a wet heat. Katara smiled and stretched her other hand towards him, moving her fingers up and down. The water that she had kept wound itself around her arm, almost like an eel. Zuko watched the water coil around her as he rose to a stance; he had learnt to watch everything this Water Master did. Suddenly her fingers flicked towards him and the water eel launched itself from her arm, rippling through the arm as if it was swimming. Zuko blew a long thin stream of fire from his lips, the light casting dark shadows on his face as it left his body. Katara grinned suddenly and whipped her free hand down. The steam gathered to form a pool of liquid and hovered above his head. Zuko looked up too late. Katara simply released the water above him, letting it rain down.

Zuko shook his head, his dark hair slicked to his face and neck. He looked over the room at her, his eyes glinting under his dripping fringe. Katara smirked, sweeping the water back to her, mostly; she let his hair remain wet. The water dripped down his face, following the lines of his jaw and dropping to his chest. Zuko lifted his hand to his face, as though to sweep the hair from his face but instead they cupped his mouth. He took a deep breath, releasing it along his hands, fire burst from his fingers, and streamed out. It rushed over the room, swinging a few steps from Katara. The stream didn't stop, it wound its way around her, encasing her in a wall of fire. Katara didn't move within the wall, she could feel the heat lick her skin, never truly touching her. She knew Zuko. He wasn't attempting to hurt her, he was making it impossible to bend water to her. The air was too dry for her to create anything within his wall.

"That's a sneaky move for the Fire Lord isn't it?" She teased him, calling over the roar of the flames.

"No more than yours was sneaky for a Master Waterbender." He called back, his voice close on the outside. She could hear the soft laughter in his words.

Katara laughed silently and settled in to wait, she couldn't bend in here but he couldn't keep the wall up forever. She jumped when something hot touched her arm, her hand flew to the spot but it wasn't burnt. Zuko's hand was under hers, against her skin. She turned to face him, not letting his hand go. He smirked at her, the fire around the flared, burning with a blinding light then faded to nothing. Zuko was breathing steadily, the wall had taken some effort to control, but Katara had been saving her energy while he had been using his. She swept her hands between them, water instantly surged to her arms and hovered between them for a moment. Zuko's face was distorted through the water but she could see his smirk fade to a look of surprise. She laughed, letting the sound echo this time and pushed against the water. It surged into Zuko's body, lifting him from his feet and floating him across the room before it flew away, back to Katara. For a second Zuko seemed to hover in the air, then he dropped, curling his body to roll as it hit the floor. Katara whipped the water back out, winding it around his leg and pulling his back towards her. Zuko sat up as while he was being dragged and took the water in his hand, tightening his hand to a fist around it. It broke between his fingers and he slid to a halt on the ground. He spun to his feet, whipping out his own element as he did. Unlike Katara he couldn't let his fire touch her; he wouldn't let it touch her. He could only let it brush close enough for her to feel the heat on her skin. He was never going to do to anyone what his father had done to him. His fire danced beside her cheek, lighting her blue eyes in its glow. She whipped her water to wind around his fire, for a moment the two elements sat together. Winding against each other, their different coloured glow casting light on the other. Then, in an instant, the fire yielded in the waters grip and went out. The water whip, though thinner than before it was brighter, like it had swallowed the fire's light.

Katara was distracted by the glow, not seeing Zuko race forward, lowing himself to the ground at the last minute. He swept his leg out, knocking Katara's legs from under her, and killing all the fire in the room, even in the lights. Darkness surrounded them. Katara pulled her water to her, peering into the little light its blue glow provided. She couldn't see him anywhere, she could feel him though, the heat that coursed from his body. He was breathing heavily now, so was she, but he was trying to be quieter. He was trying to calm his breathing so she couldn't hear him. Katara didn't bother trying to calm her breathing, he could see her clearly because of the water anyway. She smiled suddenly and sent the water away, floating it across the room. Zuko didn't seem to be falling for it, or at least he wasn't making any noise walking. Katara pulled her feet slowly under her and crouched on the ground, the movement made little noise without shoes to squeak on the floor. She took a step away from her water, keeping herself steady with one hand and keeping the water hovering with the other. She heard a shuffle of clothes beside her and immediately took another step back, smiling as she did, until her foot caught. She slammed to the ground and lost her hold on the water as she did, it splattered to the ground.

"Damn it!" She hissed under her breath and reached for her foot, the wraps on her legs had come undone and caught her foot.

She heard him bend and pressed her body against the ground, a blanket of flames flew over her, more than a metre from her. He was being careful, clearly he couldn't see anymore than she could, until he'd sent that flame over her at least. Now she could hear him scramble over the ground towards her. Katara's fingers worked frantically to free her foot so she could move but she wasn't fast enough. He hit her from the side, scooping her into his arms from the ground and making them roll until she landed back on the ground with him leaning over her. Her heart pounded in her chest, her foot forgotten. His skin was hot wherever it touched hers and she wondered if hers was cold to him. His hands trailed up her arms and encircled her wrists, his legs resting either side of her stomach. She couldn't bend in this position and he knew it.

"Give up?" He asked softly, she was still unable to see his face in the dark but she was sure he was smirking.

"My foot got caught." Katara protested, wriggling in his grip. It wasn't anywhere near tight enough to hurt her, just enough to keep her from getting free.

He laughed and lowered his head. His fringe brushed against her forehead, making her aware of just how close he was. "Get out of this one then." She could see his face now, just. His gold eyes glowed dimly in the dark and his lips were pulled into an amused smile.

Katara sighed and frowned. She probably should give up, but it was never in her to give into Zuko, even when he had her cornered. She flexed her wrists a little, and his warm hands tightened their grip. She smiled suddenly and shuffled her whole body up a little, his hands slipped down her arm, only the tiniest amount but it was enough. She made a 'come here' motion with her fingers and the water in the air closest to her hands slowly cling to her skin. She pushed the water down her hands to her wrists and slipped it between their skin. Zuko's mouth parted in surprise as she froze the ice against her own skin, creating sharp little icicles against Zuko's skin. She pushed her arms into his palms and his hands jerked open slightly in surprise. It was all she needed. She pushed against his hands, letting the ice melt and fall away. As she pushed up she pulled her legs to her body and hooked them around his. With a grin she gave a shove with her arms and pulled with her legs. They rolled, just once but now Katara was on top, she straddled his chest, quickly using her bending to freeze his arms to the ground. Once they were frozen above his head from the palms of his hands to his elbows she sat back, balancing her body above his stomach.

"I win." She told him and summoned a small ball of water to float beside them. The glow it let off wasn't much but compared to before it let her see his entire face. He was half smiling, like he knew something she didn't.

She tilted her head to one side as she studied him, her eyes drawn to his scar as they often were. With a gasp she felt down his chest to the bandage, pulling her light with her she gently removed the bandages to see the forming scar. It was worse now, after Azula's second hit, but the it hadn't been close to lightening. She ran one hand over the rough skin and Zuko grunted, his body scrunching away from her touch. Katara looked up to his face, his eyes were closed and his face was tight, shut off. She ignored his reaction and went back to the scarring flesh. The second hit had been weak, but anything would have been enough to hurt him again. He hadn't even had time to heal from the lightening strike. She touched the rough skin again and got the same reaction, he tried to shrink away from her. She shook her head, knowing what he was thinking. In his eyes the scar marked him, marked him as weak, ugly. He thought the same about the scar across his eye, under Ba Sing Se she had learnt a lot about Zuko and his scar. He hated it, inflicted by the person who was meant to protect and love you. He believe in part that because of the scar no one could love him, that they would see the same flaws his father had seen in the physical form of a scar on his face. The scar on his stomach was just another flaw to Zuko.

Katara shuffled along the ground, moving her legs along his sides. She leant her face close to his, just as he had done to her but she didn't speak. Instead she touched his scarred cheek, gently, barely a brush of her fingertips. He didn't open his eyes but he tried to twist his face away from her. Katara rested her other hand on his smooth cheek, keeping him still and touched the rough cheek again. This time letting her fingers linger across the skin for a moment before taking them away.

"Katara." It was a warning, she could hear it clearly and she ignored it.

She ran her fingers across the scar, following the bumps and curves of his cheek. He drew a deep breath, tiny flames flaring from his nostrils. She was making him angry and it made her hesitate, her hand hovered over his face. She waited, and waited, slowly his face relaxed. Without making a sound or giving him any warning she lay her hand over his cheek. Her fingers rested on the bridge of his nose as the rest of her hand gently rested over his scar, concealing it from view.

"Katara." Another warning, this time she could feel the heat build under his skin as his temper grew.

"I don't care." She told him firmly, his eye opened and he looked at her in confusion though the anger was still there. She curled her fingers against his scar. "I don't care, Zuko. Without this you would have never been banished, you would have been the son Ozai always wanted. Without this you could have never met Aang and helped him master firebending and defeat your father. If you had never been scarred the war could have lasted another hundred years. I don't know you without this, and without this I might have never met you. I can hate what your father did to you, how he hurt you. And I do, Zuko, I damn him to hell for the rest of his pitiful existence for what he did to you." She rested her forehead against his and closed her eyes, tears down her cheek "But I could never hate this scar."

Now she knew why he had been smiling, he could have gotten out of her trap anytime he wanted. She felt his hand brush her hair behind her ears, she smiled through her tears. His other hand touched her arm and slid up to her shoulder, warming her skin in its path. She opened her eyes slowly and met his, her hand still resting on his scar. His face was perfectly still, no anger or happiness, no emotion, like he was thinking hard about something.

"Katara…" Her name wasn't a warning this time, it was barely even spoken, just a whisper in the dark.

She felt the breath of her name touch her lips, they were so close to his. She almost feel them on hers, feel the heat, more intense then the touch of his hand. The heat was closer, more intimate then the simple touch of their hands the brush of their skin. She closed her eyes, it was so close, the heat.

"Fire Lord Zuko!" There was a sharp knock on the door.

Katara's eyes snapped open and she leant back, away from him.

Zuko sighed heavily, his eyes never leaving Katara's. "Yes, what is it?" His voice was formal, polite.

"The prisoner Mai requests to see you." The voice called. "She requests rather ruthlessly Fire Lord."

"Of course she does." Zuko muttered under his breath, his eyes flicked to the door for a second. "I will see her." He called, waiting for the footsteps of the messenger to fade away and turning back to Katara.


	5. Love Dies

Always thanks for reviews and favs and such. This one took a while cause i've been working a lot and writing my own stories. Hope you enjoy!

**Pairings:**

Zutara, Maiko, Mizula.

* * *

Love Dies:

"Katara…" He sighed and brushed his hands through his loose hair, it was still wet.

"It was nothing Zuko." Katara smiled thinly, her heart was still beating too fast in her chest, she was sure that he could hear it.

He frowned, his eyes narrowed and he looked away from her. Searching the floor and then looking at the door. "Yeah…Nothing." He nodded.

Katara felt her gut twist with his words and immediately scolded herself. She didn't want Zuko to want her. It wasn't possible. "Do you want me to go with you?" Zuko sat up, resting his weight on his hands and flicked his eyes up to peer at her. "To see Mai." She nudged.

He didn't respond for a moment then simply nodded. Katara rose to her feet, extending her hand in an offer to help him up. He raised his hand as thought to take hers but instead he rested it on her leg, sliding it down from her knee to her foot. Katara tensed under his touch, trying not to think of what had almost happened moments before. His touch was so warm, so gentle. It was strange to feel how gentle he could be only moments after wielding such powerful firebending. His hand encircled her ankle and rested for a moment before lifting her foot from the ground. Katara let him lift her foot, balancing on the other as she connected what he was doing. Her foot was still wound up in the wrap. He used his other hand to pull the wrap to until and pull the wrap completely from the leg. His hands lingered, as he seemed to think before doing the same to the other leg.

"Thank you." Katara looked down and smiled at him. He wasn't looking up to her, instead he was staring at her feet, as she watched his eyes followed her leg up to her hip and stomach, her chest and shoulder finally to her face then her eyes. Something she didn't recognise glinted in those gold eyes, it made her sparring outfit suddenly seem much too revealing. She felt a shiver run down her spine and hoped he didn't notice. "Mai is waiting." She reminded him; even though she spoke the words softly, he snatched his hand back like she had bitten him.

"Let's go." Whatever had happened between them, or whatever was going to happen ended with his words.

Zuko rose from the ground quickly and lit a few torches with his bending, just enough to see with. He plucked his shirt from the floor by the door as he passed it, Katara kept step with him but didn't speak. As they walked, he pulled the deep red shirt over his head, letting it fall into place over his pants. Katara had no idea where this prison was so she was following Zuko, watching him from the corner of her eyes so she could turn down a different road at the same time he did. It allowed her to stay beside him and never fall behind and follow in his steps. Once they left the palace Zuko tensed, Katara could see his shoulders and chest tighten under his shirt and he flexed his hands into fists. She extended her hand to touch him, reassure him somehow but stopped before she touched his arm. Her fingers curled back to her hand, he was breathing steam back out rather than air. Touching him in this tense state, even to calm him down didn't seem like the best idea. All the courage she had had touching his scar dissipated. This was different, this was Mai, he had considered her his Fire Lady, his wife and she broke his heart.

"It would be best if you did not speak." Zuko said quietly.

Katara bit her lip and nodded, though she was unsure if he meant she shouldn't talk to Mai or the guards as well. The structure they came upon was like a large tower, spike protruding from the walls and heavy bars on the windows. Guards patrolled the door and a balcony on the upper levels. Zuko didn't falter in his step as they reached the place and the door was already open for him.

"Fire Lord Zuko." The guard at the door bowed to him, it was a woman and after a second look at Katara, she gave her a bow, though not as deep as the one she had given Zuko.

Zuko paused for a second to nod at the guard, Katara could see his face pull into a small smile before dropping back into a long frown. She hadn't thought it possible but he looked more tense then he had before they entered this place, his hands were clenched in tight fists and she could imagine his nails digging into palms. When he had told her what Mai had done he had showed little emotion, it had been hidden deep in his eyes but something told her that the pain he had felt was nothing compared to the anger he had felt. His hands shook at his sides.

"Have you been to see her since it happened?" Katara asked, her eyes watching his face for any sign of a reaction.

He gave one curt nod but didn't speak to her, they came to a stop before a door. It was heavy metal, a thick metal bar lay across its middle and two guards stood either side. Zuko wasn't taking any chances that Mai would escape. With a look to one of the guard's they lifted the bar together and Zuko slipped a key into the door. There was a heavy click and the door fell slowly open, casting a strange square of dim light in a dark room. Zuko enter the room without hesitating and after a moment, Katara followed him inside. The room was split in two; the back section was encased in a metal cage but Katara couldn't see Mai anywhere within it. A shuffle of material pulled her attention into one of the dim corners but in this light, her eyes could see little more than black shadows on the wall.

"I knew you would come…Zuko." Even in here, she sounded bored, except when she spoke his name, it sounded like she caressed it as she spoke. The way she spoke made Katara feel as if she was interrupting a private moment between lovers but Zuko made no gesture that she should leave them. Rather he drew back a little, closer to Katara, further from the dark cage. Katara stared at the corner, slowly a dark form took shape. She was sitting on the ground. "You brought the water peasant."

A ripple of anger stirred in Katara at the monotone voice. "I'm not a peasant, but I would rather be one then a traitor."

There was a cackle of laughter from the back of the cell, Katara recoiled, she had no memory of Mai ever laughing. The laughter was a disturbing sound to here the darkness of this place, mocking, and harsh peals of sound that contorted to fit a laugh. She looked at Zuko but he appeared repulsed by the sound.

"What do you want Mai?" Zuko said, his voice was distant, tired.

Her laughter instantly died. "I want you Zuko, I always have." There was a tremor in the monotone of her voice. "Make her leave! I want to talk to you, Zuko."

Zuko's face turned slowly from the corner of the room to Katara, she took a step back but he shook his head. "Anything you want to say to me can be said in front of Katara." He turned back to the darkness.

"I can go if you want me to…?" Katara took another step back but Zuko shook his head without looking at her. His hand reached back, fingers out stretched as though he was trying to find hers in the dark.

Katara came to his side and slipped her fingers in his, hold their hands behind her back, where Mai couldn't see the contact. Zuko squeezed her hand but his face remained blank.

"Tell me what you need to say so I can leave." He told her firmly. Katara squeezed his hand, his arm tensed for a moment before he gave a gentle squeeze in return.

There was a rush of movement and Mai surged forwards, pushing her body against the steel bars of her cage. The dim light that there was appeared to pour on the spot she had chosen, showing her ragged condition. Gone were her long silk robes, replaced by a rough, dirty brown pair of pants and a shirt. Simply seeing the outfit made Katara's skin itch, she couldn't imagine how the prisoners stood it but she reminded herself that they deserved it. Her black hair had lost its shine, the ends were torn and it was a mess of knots upon her head, but her eyes were still as sharp as they had always been. It was those eyes that gazed first, quickly at Katara then Zuko, her eyes trailed his body and held to his face.

"I never wanted to hurt you Zuko, I love you. I was afraid…so afraid that Azula would escape, that she would kill you…you know I love you Zuko." Her voice was trembling again and she pushed her body harder against the bars, her hands reaching out towards him. Her finger twitched just beyond the touch of the silk front of his shirt. "She wanted revenge, even the way she was…she wanted the power. She thought it would fix everything if she could just be the Fire Lord. I never wanted to betray you, I wanted to save you."

"Is that all you've got to say!" Zuko said. "That you didn't want to hurt me! I was there Mai, I saw you in my room with _her!_ She wasn't the only one who was trying to kill me that night." The room heated with his explosion and his hand shook in Katara's. "How could you know what she thought after she was locked up? Did you come to see your love?" He spat the last word as though it burnt his tongue.

"I had to see her, she was my friend…" The tremble had faded from Mai's voice, there was a glint inside the cage and she flicked her wrist.

"Zuko!" Katara reached out to slow to stop the dart, but Zuko didn't. The thin, finger length shaft of metal embedded itself in the arm he had moved in front of his face. Blood dripped from the wound by his elbow, his body had turned towards Katara. Katara looked at him in surprise, he had turned to protect her, he had thought Mai would go for her not him.

"I'm fine." He said through clenched teeth, his eyes had never left Mai. She leant against the bars, a tiny, smug smile resting on her thin lips. "I believe we are finished here." He nodded to Katara, gesturing to the door with his unhurt arm. She back towards it but didn't leave, Zuko used his free hand to tuck the dart into the sleeve of his shirt before he followed her.

"I never loved you Zuko, it was always her! The power she had was so right, she belonged above you, she was meant to be the Fire Lord!" Mai slipped to the ground, her arms hooked into the bars and returned to her monotone voice but there was a unstable smile on her face. "You were a pawn, so easy to use, weak, just like your mother and you falling in love with me just made it easier."

"If I was the weak one why am I standing here while you're stuck behind a cage?" Zuko pressed Katara against the door, shielding her from Mai and pushed the handle with his good arm.

"Only a matter of time my love." She stared up from the floor

Zuko laughed this time; a bitter grating sound that Katara hoped she would never hear come from him again. "I'm not your love, I never was."

He pressed Katara backwards through the door, not moving from in front of her until the door closed in front of them. As the bar clicked into place he swiftly turned about and strode down the hall, not breaking his stride until they were clear of the prison and its watchful guards. When they rounded the corner of a building, Zuko fell to his knees, Katara could see shudders rolling over his body and he rested his head against the ground. His blood had trailed its way down his arm to stain his hand, he had been lucky that the blood hadn't dripped to the ground in the prison or the guards would have executed Mai on the spot. Katara lowered herself to the ground beside him and pushed him back so she could face him. She took his arm and ripped the sleeve away, using the material to wipe the blood away from the entry point. The dart was dug into his flesh but hadn't broken through the other side. She didn't warn him before she pulled it from his arm but he braced his body anyway. The dart pulled free with a sickening sound and a gush of blood, she bent water from the plants around them. The action created a large circle of dead grass beneath them but she ignore her guilt for killing the plants and set about healing the wound. The muscle stitched itself together and the skin grew back over the cut, leaving a pale pink puckering of skin where it had been.

"You thought she was going to throw that at me, you tried to protect me." Katara said after she had finished and let the water drop away. She lowered her head to try to meet his eyes but he wouldn't lift his head. "Thank you…"

He shook his head slowly, firmly then raised his bloody hand and the gesture silenced her. "I shouldn't have brought you with me; it was a stupid thing to do."

"You didn't know she was going to do that." Katara sighed and pushed his hand away from her, Zuko flinched. "What?" Katara ducked her head again to try to meet his eyes but he still avoided them. "You said you've visited her before, she did the same thing last time didn't she…then why did you go back!"

"Because I wanted to know if I could still love her after that!" Zuko said and leapt away from Katara, putting his back against the nearby wall. "I wanted to know if I still loved her…after she tried to kill me…" He looked up to the sky, jaw clenched and punched the wall. "I thought if I saw her in there and forced myself to see her for what she is then I would just…stop."

"Zuko, you can't just stop loving someone, that's not the way it works." Katara began to stand up but froze when his eyes turned on her.

"How would you know? You've never loved anyone, you didn't love Aang, you don't love anyone but your family." He glared at her and his words sliced through her like fire.

"I did love Aang, and I still do, just like I love Toph and my brother and _you_."

Zuko laughed bitterly and looked back up at the sky. "That's not love, they are your family. I would have risked anything for Mai, to keep her safe, to stop someone from using her to get to me, to protect her. I wanted her to be my Fire Lady, I wanted her by my side for the rest of our lives. That's love. You never wanted that with Aang."

"That's not fair, Zuko." Katara looked at her hands, still smudged with a little of his blood, and scrunched her pants between her fingers. "I tried to love him, I wanted to love him…but I couldn't do it."

"Because you never loved him." Zuko sighed deeply. "I wish I had never loved Mai."

"Love dies." She told him softy, she hated that everyone seemed to know why she had never worked with Aang but it had taken her months to figure it out. Why had they never bother to tell her that it wasn't going to work, but then she probably wouldn't have listened. She had told herself it was all about their age difference, she was fifteen and he had only been thirteen when they had kissed in Ba Sing Si.

"Yeah, but it dies slowly and painfully, it puts up a fight." She heard him sit in front of her in the grass but it was her turn to avoid his eyes. "I shouldn't have said anything about Aang, I'm sorry, Katara."

"Yeah…"

"Katara." He shuffled closer, the dried out grass crunched beneath him. "He was always like your little brother, there's two years difference between you. When you older that doesn't seem like much but now, at the age you are, the age he is, it makes a lot of difference."

Katara nodded her head and sniffed. "When did you get so wise?"

"I spent a lot of time with my uncle, besides I can't be Fire Lord without been wise, I'd get nowhere." He said, she could see him smiling.

"Maybe one day when you're old and grey you'll be like him." Katara looked up slowly, something like sadness crossed his face.

"I hope I'm like him when I'm old and not like my father." He ran a hand through his hair, it had dried in the open air.

Katara shook her head. "You won't be like him."

Zuko nodded, his eyes watching hers. Slowly, hesitantly he lifted his hands; bring them up to cub her face. Katara could smell his blood on his hand as his fingers gently stroked her cheek. She leaned into his hands and closed her eyes, breathing in his the faint ashy scent that followed him, as if it came from his pores. He leaned closer, ever so slowly and paused just as his lips brushed her. He was giving her a second to say no, to move away from him. Katara could feel his lips feather light against her but she remained perfectly still. Her mind was whirling, she wanted him to kiss her, she wanted to kiss him, she wanted this. It was a completely different feeling then wanting Aang, she had never really wanted Aang. It was all gently touches and brief kisses with Aang, she wasn't even sure if he knew about anything but that. It wasn't like the monks taught sex to the kids, and he was only a kid still. She was almost seventeen now, she should have been married a year ago. Then he kissed her and all the thoughts faded, popping like bubbles.

He was gentle at first, touching his lips to hers and doing little more but Katara like the warmth of his lips on her. She lifted her hands and wound one around his back and to his neck. The other clutched the front of his shirt, pulling him closer to her. She moved her lips against his, tasting the ash in her mouth when she touched his lips with her tongue. Zuko's hands moved from her face, one winding in her hair and the other falling to rest on her waist. Katara shivered at the warmth that was flooding her sense, he smelt and tasted like ash, like fire. Everywhere he touched, her lips, her head, her waist burned pleasantly.

"Katara?" Sokka's voice called close behind them.

They both pulled away, breathing heavily and Zuko drew his hands from her body. Katara immediately missed the warmth of his touch and reluctantly withdrew her own hands but didn't move away from him. They saw still, almost nose to nose. Zuko smirked slowly and Katara rolled her eyes, they both laughed silently. Katara leaned in and swiftly touch his lips, just once. Zuko still had the decently to look at her in surprise, Katara smirked at him.

"You're brother…" Zuko said, his voice was soft and he moved away from her.

Katara's smirk dropped away and she stared at him in confusion, hurt stirred in her chest. Zuko stood up and leaned against the wall, his hands running through his hair. She narrowed her eyes and stood up, glaring to him in disbelief. He met her eyes but there was nothing there, he had shut down. He was looking at her as if nothing had happened, like everything was the same as it had been before tonight.

"Katara? Where are you? I just want to apologise…please?" Sokka was just around the corner behind her.

Katara looked at Zuko for one more moment, trying to find some recognition, some sign that she hadn't just imagined the kiss but his face was blank. Without a word she turned her back on him and went to find her brother.


	6. Apologies

_I suppose i should start of with my own apology for disappearing on my beloved fans. I really am sorry i was gone so long, i was out of town for a while and my best friend had to have an operation then i was told by my family that none of my writing would ever amount to anything so i didn't feel much like writing for a while. I hope you all like this chapter and keep looking for the next one. As always I am very grateful for every single fav or review i get, thank you in advance to everyone who takes there time to do so._

_**Pairing:**_

_Zutara_

* * *

Apologies:

"Katara! There you are!" Sokka beamed at her, Katara offered him half a smile but it felt strange on her lips. "I've been looking for you for _ages _but I couldn't find you. Where have you been? I wanted to apologise, I've been talking to Suki and she thinks I should have told you as well…so does Zuko actually. He's a good guy you know? Now he's not trying to kill us anymore. It still weird to think of him as our friend, like he's going to just switch sides and recruit combustion man again. Do you think that was a better name then sparky sparky boom man?..." Katara nodded absently at her brothers chatter, not truly listening to much of what he said and walking beside him when he moved. "…But that's not why I came to talk to you." Sokka stopped and turned to her, gripping her shoulders gently in his hands.

Katara lifted her head and looked at him, there was still a little anger bubbling under her surface. She still believed he should have told her but she was beginning to think that she shouldn't have attacked him. Or at least, shouldn't have attacked him with her bending, as far as she saw it he still needed a boot up the rear.

"I should have told you Katara, and I am sorry." His smile was gone. "I've always seen you as someone I need to protect, no matter how strong you're bending gets. After what happened to Mum Dad left me behind to protect you, that was what he told me to do, protect my sister. I wasn't old enough to fight with him but I was old enough to know I had to do what he told me, and I couldn't disappoint him. I thought that Dad knew what was best for you, that he was trying to protect you by finding you a husband." Sokka shook his head and squeezed her shoulders. "I was wrong. Zuko was right. I forget that your almost seventeen now or that you are a Master Bender. I'll always see you as my little sister Katara but from now on I'll try to see you as you are and you are smart enough to make this choice for yourself. You're probably smarter them me and I found Suki. Katara if you don't want to get married to anyone Dad gave you to pick from…I'll back you up."

Katara looked at her brother for a moment before she threw her arms around him. She buried her head in his shoulder and clutched his shirt in her fists. "Thank you Sokka." Sokka's arms slowly wrapped around her shoulders and he hugged her tightly.

"Just don't pin me to anymore walls ok?"

Katara laughed into his shoulder and hugged him tighter. "I promise not to use my bending on you, I'll do it the old fashion way."

Sokka said with the beginning of laughter. "No one can defeat the mighty warrior Sokka." Katara wasn't completely sure he was joking until she looked up and saw the grin on his face.

Katara ducked her face back into his shoulder and took a deep breath. "What do I do Sokka?" She murmured into the cloth of his shirt.

"I don't know I really don't, Katara. Could you be with one of them? Any of them? You and Aang had something and Hanh is a decent enough guy, I knew him when we were kids. Even Zuko is a nice guy now he's not trying to kill us."

Katara bit of a laugh, Zuko felt like everything but a nice guy at the moment. "Hahn?" Katara leaned back to look at Sokka. "That's the Northern Water Tribe boy Dad picked! He was engaged to Princess Yue, why would the Northern Water Tribe offer their best warrior to me? And why wouldn't Dad tell me it was Hahn?" Katara sighed and shook her head.

"They offered him as a choice because you are the next closest thing to a Princess that either tribe has now Katara, you're the daughter of the chief, that just what Yue was. And I don't know why Dad didn't tell you, maybe he knew you wouldn't like Hahn." Sokka said with a shrug.

"I didn't, he was selfish and stuck up." Katara said, remembering their time spent at the Northern Water Tribe.

Sokka laughed softly. "I didn't like him either but he is a high ranking warrior, the best they have, that's why they offered him."

Katara considered for a moment. "Do you think they offered him or he volunteered?"

Sokka shrugged again. "It could have been either, the Tribes would have offered the marriage to bring them closer together and Hahn might have offered to marry you because of your position."

Katara leaned her head against her brother's chest. "He could have done it just to piss you off for all I know."

Sokka pulled her arms from around him and ruffled her hair. "He's not quite that bad but if he offered then he is the only one I know that already knew about the marriage proposal. As far as I know Aang doesn't know and neither did Zuko until you told him, I guess Dad thought it would go better if you told them."

"Yeah right." Katara crossed her arms and sighed.

"You should probably tell…gaaah!" Sokka pivoted backwards and landed on his butt with a grunt. He glanced around them with a smile. "Toph! I know that was you."

Katara's eyes shot up, immediately searching the area and found her. Toph had grown up in the year she had been away, she was getting prettier but it didn't look like she had gotten any taller. Toph blew her long fringe from her eyes and looked at Katara with her pale eyes. Even after knowing her friend so long, it still amazed her that Toph could look at you straight in the face. Her way of seeing was something that Katara always marvelled at and never quite understood. Toph grinned as her fringe flopped back into place, partially covering her eyes again. Katara bolted towards her, Toph dodged to the side just as Katara reached out to grab her. Toph laughed.

"Missed me Sugar Queen?" Toph glanced at Sokka rising to his feet and bent the earth beneath him again.

"Of course I missed you!" Katara threw her arms around the smaller girl in the instant her attention was elsewhere.

"Whoa! Ok, you missed me, I get it, now get off. My mother will make me go shopping again if you do anything to this dress." Toph squeezed back quickly once then squirmed out of her arms. "I look stupid in this don't I? My mother picked it…" Katara looked over the dress, it was a deep green, a lighter tie wrapped over her waist and the chest piece was decorated with lighter green and white swirls. The same swirls decorated the hem of the dress and the hems of the sleeves. After a moment of silence Toph spoke again. "It's pink isn't it? I'm not wearing it!" She threw her arms in the air with a growl.

"No, no, no. It's not pink, its…how do you know what pink is?" Katara looked at her and raised an eyebrow in question, though Toph couldn't see it her eyes still focused on Katara's face.

"Ty Lee explained pink to me, it's a girly colour, and she loves it." Toph shrugged. "As long as it's not pink…"

"Did you have to do that twice?" Sokka asked as he walked over to them, rubbing his back.

"Yep." Toph turned to grin at him than turned back to Katara. "Did you bring me back a present?"

Katara laughed but didn't smile. "No, I'll get you some nice ice next time, but it might melt on my way back."

Toph's grin faded. "You're going back?"

Katara smiled at her. "No, I'm not going back for a while."

"Oh, that's alright than." Toph said and punched her in the arm, making Katara flinch and bring her hand up to rub the spot. "We missed you around here Sugar Queen, there was no one to mother us."

"I missed you all too." Katara smiled and kept rubbing her arm, ignoring the part about mothering. The harder Toph hit the more she cared, with a silent laugh Katara wondered how whoever Toph liked faired.

"So why did your father call you away? A secret mission? Can I help?" Toph seemed to sense them both staring at her. "I can be quiet when I want to be."

"No Toph, no secret mission. My father wants me to get married." Katara sighed, there was no sense in hiding it, everyone would probably know soon enough.

Toph nodded as though it made sense to her. "You would have been married a year ago if you and Sokka hadn't met Aang and you still lived at the Water Tribe. It's just happening a year late."

"You think I should get married!" Katara stared at her younger friend in disbelief.

Toph shrugged. "I come from a rich, well known family Katara. I've had husbands lined up since before I could walk, it's the way things are sometimes." Katara went to protest but Toph held up a hand to silence her. "That doesn't mean I agree with it and it doesn't mean I'm going to marry any of the snobby wimps that my mother has started introducing me to either. It just means in know what they expect of you, and you're an even higher prize then me. I'm surprised it's taken you father this long to parade you around and hook a husband."

Katara had forgotten that Toph was smarted then she acted most of the time but it still amazed her. Toph was a few years younger than her, only fourteen, like Aang and her mother was already doing introductions. "How did you know I was going to interrupt?"

"Because you always do and when you're about to you take a really big, loud breath to use up." Toph grinned.

"How was dinner?" Sokka asked, both the girls looked sideways at him. "What? I was feeling left out!" He crossed his arms and huffed.

"It was a stupid attempt to make me like a boy who's afraid of me, at least he is now. My mother forgets that I was never the helpless little girl my parents made me out to be." Toph shrugged again. "I'm not going to marry anyone they pick for me because it will always be about the boy being able to protect me from the big bad world and I'm not afraid of the world. I don't need protecting." She finished with a nod of her head.

"Did you tell your mother that?" Katara asked quietly.

"I told her I can protect myself; she told me I was too young to know any better. Did you tell your father?" Toph's milky eyes locked onto Katara's, probably from luck but Katara couldn't look away.

"Tell him what?" Katara rubbed her arm again, though it didn't hurt anymore.

"That you don't want to marry anyone yet?"

"I told him, I yelled at him Toph. He told me it was for the good of the Tribe, that I was doing my duty. Then he gave me a list of names and told me if I didn't choose one by next summer he would pick one for me." Katara could feel her bending twitch within her, itching to be used, to release some of her anger. But the thought of training brought back thought's of Zuko.

"That's harsh." Toph looked at Katara with a small frown, then smiled slightly. "Your still angry about it."

"I froze Sokka to a wall earlier, I feel a little better." Katara smiled lamely.

"Why does everyone pick on me? Is it because I don't have any bending? That's it isn't it?" Sokka frowned and narrowed his eyes. "Well I could bend if I wanted to but I don't wanna! Who wants magical powers anyway." He huffed again and stalked off, throwing his hands in the air.

"You froze him to a wall?" Toph grinned.

"Yep." Katara laughed. "I should have just kicked his butt without using bending, it would have been more fun." And defiantly would have gotten my point across quicker, she added silently. He had said Zuko had said something to him, it was Zuko who had convinced him. Katara bit her lip, trying to imagine what Zuko had said to make him understand but nothing came to mind. "Hey Toph?"

"Yeah, you can go." Toph waved at her and smiled. "I can feel your pulse racing; you're getting restless about something."

Katara smiled and pulled her friend into another tight hug. "I really did miss you Toph." She ruffled Toph's hair as she let go and paced away to find him.

Katara was surprised how fast the dark had crept up on her, she hadn't noticed the sun had already set when she was talking to Toph, probably because of all the lights that hung around the palace. It took her a lot of searching before she found Zuko's rooms. Once she found it, she wondered how she had missed it. The doors were huge and decorated with the fire symbol in a huge gold piece. She knocked and received no answer. After a moment's hesitation, she pushed the doors open and stepped inside.

"Zuko?" She called into the dim room quietly but he still didn't answer.

She pushed the door closed behind her and stepped further into the room, her bare feet soundless across the flood. There was not noise in the room, there wasn't even a light lit and she could barely see in front of her. The lack of light was the reason she walked straight into something and fell forwards. The bed caught her with a rustle of its blankets. She laughed silently in the darkness and pulled her feet up onto the bed, it smelt like Zuko. All ash and fire. She spun her hand in the air and collected a little bit of water from the air, just barely enough to make a glow. She let it hover in her hand, changing shape and casting pale blue light about the bed. With a sigh she sat up and looked around. A glint of gold caught her eye and she reached out to pick it up. It was Zuko's royal hair clip, the gold flame winked at her in her created light.

She ran a finger over the shape just as she hear a door open. Katara spun her head to the back of the room, Zuko stood near a wall, towel wrapped around his waist. Katara hastily pulled her eyes from the towel to his chest then his face.

Zuko would have dropped the towel in surprise upon seeing Katara on his bed if he hadn't already see the pale blue light on the walls as he opened the door. It didn't make him any less surprised that she was actually her though, on his bed. A tiny smile played on his lips. It faded quickly when he remembered what had happened only a short time ago, how could he have forgotten. Her soft lips on his, the smell of water and calm had filled him. Maybe that was why he liked her, she smelt of water, the calm of her element. All he had ever know was fire and it's pain, its anger, passion some called it. It had taken the dragons to show him that the two feelings were different.

"Katara." He nodded to her but didn't move, he could see the hurt on her face briefly as she took in his empty voice.

Zuko's eyes travelled to her hand, where she held the hairpiece. A grimace passed over his face, that piece belonged to the Fire Lady's, he had it polished for Mai before she had tried to kill him. After that, he had left it beside his bed and stared at it for hours before sleeping. Wondering why Iroh had been the first one to love him without any hidden motive His mother crept into his mind but he shook those thoughts away, he would think of her only when his father told him where she was.

"What are you doing in here?" He looked at the door's briefly then back to her.

Katara scowled. "I wanted to talk to you about _Sokka_." As she said her brother's name she could see Zuko relax a little, the tension that had tightened his chest relaxed. She placed the hairpiece back on the bed a little harder then she intended.

"What about him?" Zuko walked across the room and pulled open a door, dragging out some clothes.

"What did you say to him to make him understand why I was so angry and why he was wrong?" Katara's eyes followed Zuko's back as he moved.

"Close your eyes." He told her.

"What?" She raised an eyebrow at him and grabbed a hand full of blankets.

"I want to put some clothes on and since it's my room and you came barging in you can either leave, but I don't think you will, go into the bathroom, I didn't think you would do that either or close your eyes. Pick one. You're lucky I saw your light and came out with a towel on." He grumbled without looking at her.

Katara felt herself blush. "Why would you walk around na…" Her mouth refused to form the word and she closed her eyes, looking at the floor for good measure. "Without clothes one?"

Zuko snorted and there was a rustle of material. "It's my private rooms, I can do whatever I like in them, how am I meant to know when you're going to come in?"

Katara opened her eyes when she felt a weight on the bed, Zuko was perched on the end, his back to her. He had pulled on a pair of very simple black pants, tied at the waist. "I don't walk around my room without clothes on."

She could see his shoulder move up and down in silent laughter. "Maybe you should try it."

"We don't do that in the Water Tribe, it's too cold to stand being naked for any long period of time Zuko."

He turned his head slightly so she could see him smirk. "You're not in the Water Tribe Katara and if you're cold I could always help you warm up."

The comment caught her off guard, and for a moment, she forgot about the look on his face after he had kissed her. In that moment Sokka hadn't interrupted them, Zuko had never looked like he regretted the kiss; instead he looked like he wanted more. The harsh snap of reality broke her moment quickly and she turned her eyes away from him.

"I thought you didn't want…" She paused, not really knowing what she was talking about, she had gone a year. A year since she had seen him but after one day back she had kissed him, wanted him to kiss her. She sucked in a breath and tried again. "After you kiss me, you looked like you had done something horrible and regretted it."

Zuko was silent for a moment but the heat suddenly dropped from the room. Katara shivered and wrung her hands in the blankets of the bed. "I shouldn't have kissed you Katara; I'm only making things harder on you. Your father wants you to choose a husband and I happen to be one of those choices but…" She could hear him stand up. "It's not that I regret kissing you, I've wanted to kiss you for a long time but there was always Aang and Mia in the way. I shouldn't be doing anything to affect your choice, especially if your choice is to completely ignore your father. If I did anything, if we did anything now it would feel like I was forcing you to choose something you don't want. You don't want to be forced into marrying someone your father picked out for you Katara and if you get involved with me then…he wins."

"It would be my choice if I got involved with you Zuko, my father would have nothing to do with it." She snapped even though she knew he was right.

Zuko walked around the bed towards her. "I forget that I'm two years older they you sometimes you know, that I used to be like you. So stubborn, I gave Uncle hell when I was banished, I just couldn't accept that he might be smarter than me at that certain time." He knelt in front of her and looked up into her face. "I know what I'm saying Katara, I know you."

"I've had a year to grow up without you." She told him with a grimace. "I came back a little different than before, but you are probably right. That doesn't mean I understand your reaction though." She added as an afterthought.

"What do you think would have happened if Sokka had caught us?" Zuko smirked again and flicked his wet hair from his face. Katara closed her eyes. "He would have told your father…well he probably would have tried to kill me first then told your father."

Katara shook her head. "He changed his mind, that's why he was looking for me, he wanted to apologise. Sokka says he's going to help me defy Dad…" She opened her eyes and stared at him "He said you spoke to him, you were the one he finally listened to." She narrowed her eyes at the fire bender. "What did you do to him?"

"I talked to him, very briefly." Zuko shrugged but she kept glaring at him. "I asked him if he was going to keep making decisions for you when you were forty and had a husband and kids."

"He'll probably still try." Katara smiled slightly.

"Just freeze his mouth, it'll save everyone and I'm sure Suki would love you for it." Zuko laughed softly.

Katara reached out and lay her hand over his scar, tangling her fingers in his hair. "Thank you for talking to him."


	7. From the Beginning

_Sorry it took soo long, again ^^" I'm not sure about this chapter, theres some bits I like and others i dont, but its done so I hope you all like this chapter and keep looking for the next one. As always I am very grateful for every single fav or review i get, thank you in advance to everyone who takes there time to do so._

**_Pairings:_**

_Zutara, Mizula, Maiko, Kataang_

* * *

From the beginning:

Zuko closed his eyes and leant into Katara's hand, she smiled. "What do we do now?"

She studied his face and shook her head. "What do you mean?"

Zuko sighed. "What happens when your father wants an answer? How are you going to tell him that you're not going to marry anyone unless you want to marry them?"

Katara frowned and pulled her hand away, Zuko's leaned forward to follow it and his eyes snapped open. "I'll deal with Dad when I have to. Before that I just want to forget about him and pretend that I live my life how I want to." She balled her hands into fists. "I hated being back at the Water Tribe, it wasn't home anymore. Even before Dad told me I knew he was up to something, he had all these new outfits waiting for me, dresses that I had never seen before. It wasn't until a few days after I had arrived that he told me why he was parading me around for all the men to look at." Every drop of moisture in the room flew towards Katara, Zuko edge back as it gathered into a stream and circled her. "Only a few were actually my age, the rest were are moons and moons older, some were closer to Dad's age then mine but they came to him. One by one, they went to him, not one of them asked me first. It was Dad that told me that they wanted my hand."

Zuko reached for her hands but stopped before he touched her skin. His fingers twitched above her skin, he was afraid to touch her. Katara terrified him when she was angry; she even terrified him when she was calm. He touched her fist with one finger but she didn't give any sign that she felt the touch. Katara had always been different, maybe it was because he had spent so long with Mai, and he had become used to the lack of emotion. Katara was the complete opposite. Her emotions were painfully raw and passionate. Zuko couldn't help but stare at her in wonder when she was worked up, it was so bizarre, the show of emotion. On top of her emotion, and aside from being beautiful, she could match him. Some days she could even beat him, despite his deep hatred of being beaten when Katara kick him to the ground he could smile and accept her hand up.

The water glowed brilliantly, spinning faster around her body. "He tried to make me choose one, encouraged me to pick men that he knew would help the Tribe. When I didn't he began expanding his search to other nations." Katara's tensed and the water froze in the air, A suspended circle of illuminated ice that kept Zuko from touching her. "I hated him for a long time, when I think about I still do..." Her shoulders sagged and she pulled her hair back from her face, letting her came back to rest over her face. "But I don't want to hate my Dad again." The frozen circle shattered in the air, the glowing ice hovered for a moment before raining down to the ground.

Zuko reached forward and pulled her from the bed to the ground, wrapping his arms around her. Katara collapsed into his body, folding her hands against his chest and tucking her face into his shoulder.

"You don't know what it was like."

Zuko laughed gently and Katara tensed in his arms. "I do actually." Katara shook her head against his shoulder "I've been Fire Lord for just over a year and I'm almost certain I have met every single eligible daughter of the Fire Nation since Mai was locked away. Even before she...tried to kill me I was expected to meet all the women that were willing to be my bride. Families from all across the nations came to me, claiming that their daughters union with me could help the world heal. I never looked twice at any of the girls, I had Mai." He leant away to look at her face, studying her eyes, her lips, every detail. Katara blushed. "I'm expected to marry as well but I have no father to tell me what to do, Katara. The entire Fire Nation is waiting for word of my engagement; they wait for word of my success and my failures. So listen to me when I say I know what it is like to have everyone waiting on your next move. The only difference is that most of the Nation is waiting for me to fail so they can say my father was a better leader then I am, that Uncle should take my place. No one would stand up to the Dragon of the West."

Katara sighed, quickly leaned up and brushed her lips over his cheek. "I forget sometimes that you have a Nation to rule."

"I wish I could sometimes." He closed his eyes. "Uncle would never take the throne though."

"You would never ask him to Zuko, we both know that. Even when Ozia's supporters tried to assassinate you, when the council or the Nation doubts you..."

"You're not helping." He interrupted.

Katara ignored him. "Even then you wouldn't ask Iroh to take the throne. You were born to this Zuko and you love the Fire Nation, there is nothing you wouldn't give up to keep the peace. No one can take the throne from you and no one would want to try or they would have to answer to us."

Zuko was quiet for a second before his eyes fluttered open and all signs of a smile vanished from his face. "That's not true. I would give it all up for my mother."

Katara smiled sadly and rested her forehead against his. "No you wouldn't. I know you miss her Zuko, I know, but you wouldn't do it. I will do everything I can to help you find her if you ask for my help but I will also be here to remind you that you cannot leave this Nation and let it fall again."

"You'll help me?"

"I haven't forgotten that you helped me, I'll never forget it." Katara didn't say that she still had the nightmare of her mother disappearing, of seeing the Raven's face.

"He knows where she is, I know he does and so does Azula." Zuko clenched his eyes shut. "They'll never give it up and I can't do what they did, I can't torture them...I won't become like them." His hand darted up to touch the side of his face, fingers tracing the rough skin.

Katara took his hand in hers and pulled it away from his face, lacing her fingers between his. Zuko squeezed her hand gently, Katara took a deep breath and smiled. Even after a shower she could still smell the ash on his skin. She lowered her lips to his scar and kissed his rough eyelid. Zuko flinched under the kiss but didn't pull away.

"You will never be like them." She spoke against his scar.

"Uncles says it run in the family, the cruel streak, he had it when he was young but Lu Ten's death broke it. I think sometimes that he is worried I haven't exploded and started killing people like Azula."

"Azula was like your father, you must be like your mother. Besides there is no such thing as a cruel streak in genetics Zuko, even if there was and you had it I probably cured it

when I brought you back. I think I cured everything when I brought you back. I couldn't heal for weeks afterwards, it was like I used it all up to keep you breathing." She paused and looked down at his scar. "How is your chest? Did anyone do any healing on it while I was gone?"

"Pakku visited me a few times while he was hear." Zuko shrugged. "We don't have healers in the Fire Nation, we have doctors. They wrapped it and used a cream on it, poked and prodded until I had enough. Of course I had to go through it all again when Azula hit me."

"Zuko!" Katara growled and pushed him away, trudging to the bathroom.

"What?" He called and scrambled to his feet to follow.

"You should have asked Pakku to send a healer here to have weekly sessions with you, the tissue damage is deep, and that doesn't even touch on what the second strike might have done to your Chakra's." She bent water from the tap and walked back out the door, motioning for him to follow. "Go and lie on the bed to I can check."

"Fine." Zuko scowled and flopped onto the bed.

Katara shook her head and knelt on the bed beside him. She took a deep breath and let the water flow over her hands and out onto his chest. She could feel the burnt tissue, the charred veins that still worked but limited his strength. She pushed her water deeper into his skin, sinking it deep into his body and setting about repairing the damage. Some of it was left from the original bolt and was beyond repair. Katara grimaced and soaked the dead cells into her water and prompted the growth of new cells to replace them.

Zuko tried not to squirm under her hands, the last time she had healed him he had been unconscious. Pakku had been quick and light, Zuko had barely felt anything happening. With Katara it was different, she took her time searching within his chest and fixing whatever she was finding. He could feel her digging into the tissue but it didn't hurt, not really. It was a strange sensation though, feeling someone's hands on your insides. Zuko looked up at her, she was focused on his chest, staring at her own hands intently. He moved away, just a little. She didn't even blink, simply followed him and kept healing. Zuko smile a little. Katata's healing certainly felt different from Pakku's.

After she had gone through the first bolt's damage and fixed what she would she moved up and touched the spot the second bolt had gone in. The world around her vanished and reappeared but she wasn't in her own body. She knew she wasn't in her own because her chest wasn't rough to the touch, but Zuko's was. Katara struggled against the flash back but it didn't waver.

_ Zuko rolled onto his side, Mai was beside him, he leant down and kissed her cheek. Her dull amber eyes stared back at him, bored._

_ "I love you Mai..." Zuko reached behind him and felt around for something without looking away from her face. "I wanted to give you..." Something in his balcony caught his eye, a flicker of movement._

_ "What did you want to give me Zuko?" Mai's monotone voice pulled his eyes back to her face. "A present? I have a present for you too."_

_ Another flicker of movement in the corner of his eye but he couldn't look away from Mai, she had one of her daggers in her hand. Her fingers gently tracing the blade. _

_ "Mai?" Zuko leant away from her, and froze. "Azula?" He bent a long stream of fire at her but she deflected it with a sweep of her hand._

_ Azula tilted her head to the side and grinned. "Have I interrupted a private moment Zuzu? Should I come back after Mai has had her chance to betray you?"_

_ Zuko's eyes darted back to Mai and the dagger moved. The blade sunk into his shoulder and Zuko rolled himself off the bed. He pulled the blade out with a grunt and forced himself to stand. Just having Azula close to him made his chest ache. Mai slipped from the bed and picked up her clothes, slipping into them without looking at him. Azuela's dilated eyes went between the two, her grin growing wider, she took a step towards Mai and caressed the girls arm. Zuko stared in confusion, Mai turned and kissed Azula. The fire in Zuko faltered. He couldn't attack Azula when Mai was standing in the way, even after seeing her kissing Azula and feeling his chest contract in pain. He couldn't bring himself to attack her._

_ "Mai..." Zuko's voice pleaded in the memory, pain taking over the confusion. "What are you doing?"_

_ Mai looked at him. "Do you remember when I told Azula that I loved you more then I feared her? All those times I told you I loved you, the times I kissed you, touched you? Well, they were all a lie."_

_ Azula crept onto the bed, her eyes flashed cat like in the shadows. "She was working for me the whole time Zuzu, didn't you see it coming? You'll never beat me." _

_ Zuko's hands flew in front of him, covered in flames. Katara could feel his inner fire burning with hate for him sister, and anguish at Mai. He sliced through the air, sweeping a fire whip at his sister. Azula darted out of the way and laughed. She scurried towards him, he dodged, unable to understand how she could still be so fast._

_ "Come now Zuzu, you wouldn't hurt your sister would you?" Azula stared at him like a snake waiting to strike._

_ "Hurry up and kill him Azula, I'm bored. I want to go." Mai sighed and flicked another dagger at Zuko, this one his ribs._

_ Zuko staggered and Azula leapt at him. Lightening lit the room and slammed into his chest. Zuko screamed, his voice slicing the air as the bolt moved into his body. He quivered on the ground as Azula stood above him._

_ "I win again Zuzu." She bent down and grabbed his cheeks in her hands. Her untrimmed nails cut into his skin, drawing lines of blood down his face. Zuko's vision flickered in and out as he tried to focus on anything but the pain in his chest. Her hands left his face and dug into his neck, ripping the skin down towards his chest. Zuko's teeth clamped down on his lip, blood welled in his mouth. "Goodbye brother." She kissed his forehead and slammed his head into the ground._

_ He didn't see them leave after that, he didn't see anything after that but he could hear them. He heard laughter, not Azula's; it was a laughter that he had only heard a handful of times in his life. Mai's. Silence filled the space where her laughter had been then there was something else, someone was calling his name._

"Katara!" Zuko's warm hands were cupping her cheeks as she opened her eyes. "What happened?"

"You chakra was blocked...I tried to clear it." She kept her eyes closed and waiting for the ache in her chest to recede.

It had been the same when she had healed Aang's back but the memory hadn't dragged her in with him, she had just seen it from the sidelines. Maybe Zuko's was stronger because it wasn't from just one hit and both hits had been infused with strong emotions. Although it wasn't that the emotions behind Aang's blocked Chakra weren't strong but they were different. Aang's emotions were different, he handled anger, pain and love differently than Zuko. Aang had been trained to control his emotions, Zuko on the other hand had no training, maybe that was it. Seeing the memory from the sidelines and feeling Aang in pain was a lot different than being inside the memory.

Zuko's gold eyes studied her through his long fringe. "What happened?"

She bit her lip. "I saw you and Azula...I saw Mai." She took a deep breath as Zuko tensed. "You were going to ask her to marry you that night, you were reaching for this." Katara reached across to the table and picked up the crown, running her hands over the polished gold.

Zuko pushed off the bed and paced away from her. He turned back to her and took a step forward before turning back and heading to the balcony. "I didn't know you could see into my memories." Katara could barely hear his voice from across the room.

"I've only done it once before, with Aang, after Azula struck him with lightening. I can't do it if the person resists in anyway, only if they are helping me." She stepped off the bed but didn't move any closer to him. "If they don't want me to see their memory then I don't and I can only see something that directly connects to an injury, I can't just pick something to look at. It doesn't work that way."

Zuko nodded. "Then you saw it all?"

"I saw Azula attack you and I saw them...leave together." Zuko's shoulders hunched over and tensed. "I didn't know that Mai was capable of laughter." She tried to smile but it had the reverse affect on him, he clenched his hands, arms tense at his sides. Katara sighed and reached for his arm. "I didn't mean to hurt you Zuko, I was trying to make a joke...you know I'm no good at jokes." He relaxed, just a little. She could feel his veins against his skin and the blood pulsing hard through them. She pulled him towards her and reached up to run her fingers over his cheek where the cuts had been. Beneath the skin, there was a dull residual of the wound but there were no scars. She knew the healer's mark as well. "Pakku healed the cuts didn't he?"

Zuko nodded, his arm still tensed under her hand. "I wish you hadn't have seen that Katara."

She furrowed her brow and looked up at him, trying to meet his eyes. "Why? I already know you loved Mai, I think you still do a little even if you hate her for what she did. I defiantly knew Azula was completely insane. The only thing I didn't know was that they were..." Katara paused, searching for the right word but unable to find it.

"Lovers? Yeah, I didn't know that either." He looked down at her. "I didn't want you to see it because I was going to marry her Katara, I really was. If that hadn't have happened and you had come back the way you are now...I don't know."

"The way I am now?" She raised her eyebrow at him.

"You were right you did come back different and the same, you're more mature, defiantly more stubborn." Katara crossed her arms. "But you're still the Katara who was my friend after everything I did to her and her family. After I blackmailed you, tried to kill you and Aang countless times, even then..." Zuko shrugged. "If I still had Mai now and I had you as well, as my friend, I don't think it would work. I've know Mai since I was a child, she's never really changed, she's always been the same girl. I've know you less than two years and I spent half that time chasing you down."

"And if I was with Aang?" She stared him down, matching his gold glare with own blue one.

"I wouldn't." He said the words heavily, firmly. "I couldn't do that to Aang, not after he's helped me, he's my friend as well." He reached out and brushed her shoulder with the tips of his fingers. "You guys were...are my family and I won't do anything to break that."

Katara studied him for a moment and sighed softly. Aang was going to be a problem when he returned. She pushed the thoughts from her head and stepped forward, folding her arms over his warm chest. Her hands rested on the rough scar and her head tucked into the groove of his neck. Zuko put his arms around her. They stood silently for what seemed like only a few seconds as the night ticked by overhead.

"Katara?" Zuko leant his head down to speak into her hair.

"Mmm?" She hummed into his skin, her breath cool and tickling.

"You should return to your room."

Katara frowned and pushed away from him, quickly stalking across the room to the door. "Fine."

Zuko whipped his hands through the air and bent a trail of fire after her. It swerved around her and flared in her path, keeping her from the door. Katara turned back to him, the frown still on her lips. Zuko smile briefly and walked to her side.

"Don't take everything I say as a rejection or something bad alright?" He stood toe to toe with her.

Katara grit her teeth but didn't answer him. Zuko reached down and hooked her chin with his fingers, gently pulling her face up to his. Her lips were hard against his for a moment before she sighed and kissed his gently. Zuko smiled against her cool lips, drawing her closer with his free hand. Katara's hands trailed up his hands to his shoulders, tickling his skin with her nails. Again Zuko pulled away before she did.

"You really do need to go back to your room, you can't stay here the night." He moved his lips to kiss her cheek. "It wouldn't be proper for you to walk out in the morning, think of your brother. You'll reverse everything he's achieved today."

Katara laughed and nodded. Her hands moved absently to her hair to check it was still neat then to her clothes to check the same. "What will the guards think?"

"I don't have guards posted at my door, only at the end of the halls. It bothered them to see men coming out of Azula's rooms and women coming out of my fathers and the rumour were becoming horrendous. I didn't think they should have to endure it with Suki and Sokka."

Katara stepped away from him, her hands going back to his hands and squeezing them once. She turned on her heels and opened the door. Leaving without looking back so he wouldn't see the blush on her cheeks or the smile on her lips.


	8. Aang's Return

I know I've been gone for a long while but I've had this chapter mostly finished for a while now, so I figured I should upload it. This doesn't mean I'll be uploading new chapters every week but every so often, when I find time. Enjoy guys :) -

Aang's Return:

"Katara!" Toph's voice wrenched her from sleep.

"Why does everyone just feel the need to barge into my room!" Katara grumbled and rolled onto her back.

Toph hovered above her bed with a grin on her face. "I haven't been able to bug you all year." She shoved Katara in the shoulder, almost flipping her off the bed. "Besides you have to get up, Twinkle Toes has been spotted outside the city."

Katara cringed and slipped her feet onto the cold floor. She wasn't sure she what Aang would do when he saw her, she wasn't even sure what she was going to do. Behind her she could hear Toph sigh and shuffle over to her.

"Sugar Queen." Katara sighed and looked up at Toph. "Aang has had a year, he got over it and he has forgiven you. You know what Twinkle Toes is like, he can't hold grudges."

Katara smiled at her friend, and got to her feet. "You're probably right."

"I'm always right." Toph grinned. "Come on, hurry up get dressed so we can catch up with the others."

"Alright, alright." Katara huffed and padded over to the wardrobe.

Toph leant against the bed post as Katara riffled through the clothes. She ended up pulling out an outfit that looked similar to her old Fire Nation outfit. The top still left her mid-drift bare but it had a scoop neck and long off shoulder sleeves. The skirt was a simple one, ankle length and a shade darker then the top. She slipped her feet into the sandals and walked back over to Toph.

"Alright I'm ready." Katara wished that Toph couldn't feel her pulse racing.

Toph raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. Katara wondered how long they had left her to sleep before someone had thought to wake her up. The doubt crept back into her mind, maybe they should have let her sleep, maybe Aang wouldn't want to see her as soon as he got back.

"Calm down Katara! I can feel your pulse all the way to my head." Toph didn't look at her but turned slightly to grasp her shoulder. "You know I don't like to get soft Katara, but listen to me. Aang has forgiven you, he's over you, you hurt him but he forgave you." Katara flinched. "He's not going to yell and scream at you just because you came out to meet him." Toph flicked her fringe out of her face. Katara smiled at the girl and went to hug her. "But if you don't stop mopping I'll have to just kick your butt to make you listen to me."

"You haven't changed Toph." Katara laughed and felt herself calm a little.

"Why change what's perfect?" Toph grinned and walked out of the room, Katara hurried after her.

"Why did they call him away?" She asked as they walked, Zuko's explanation had been vague.

"Bumi wanted to see him, to make sure he had mastered Earth Bending I suppose. I was meant to go with him so I could see what how good the crazy old guy was but my parents came to town and I had to stay here." Katara could see a slight scowl on the younger girls face.

"Did you enjoy seeing your parents Toph?" As she asked Toph's face softened.

"Yes but I wish they wouldn't make me dress up and do all the girly stuff like they used to. They still can't get used to the fact that I can take care of myself and I'm not like other noblemen's daughters. My mother said she would be happy if I just found a husband." Toph grimaced at word, Katara shared her pain. "We should just marry each other, I'm sure our parents would be happy." Katara started and looked at the earth bender. "Kidding Katara."

Katara rolled her eyes. "Very funny, Toph. At least your parents are just hoping you'll get married my father's ordering me to."

"Listen Sugar Queen, I know your bummed out about your dad and the whole marriage thing but can't you just worry about it later? Besides what can he do if you don't marry anyone by the end of the year?" Toph shrugged. "He's bluffing, he knows you'll fold to make him happy Katara, just don't fold."

Katara nodded. "Maybe your right." Toph raised an eyebrow and opened her mouth to speak. "I know, I know, you're always right."

"Hi Katara..." Katara froze and looked at Aang, he was smiling nervously. "It's good to see you again."

Katara's chest squeezed a little. "Hey Aang, it's good to see you too." He had grown since she had been gone. He was taller than her now, training had given him a bit more of a solid body but she could still see the lanky kid she had left behind. "How was Bumi?"

Aang smiled, the kid was still in there. "Crazy as always. How was home?"

Katara smiled stiffly. "It's not really home anymore."

Aang frowned then stepped forward and pulled Katara into a hug. She froze for moment before she hugged him lightly back. "You can just stay here with the rest of us then."

Katara relaxed and smiled, she squeezed him tight before letting him go. Aang drew back and looked down at her, just. "Thanks Aang. I missed having you guys around."

"Welcome back Aang." Zuko walked into the hall and smiled, casting Katara a strange look. She stepped a little further back as Zuko clapped the Avatar on the shoulder and smiled. "How's the Earth kingdom?"

Aang shrugged. "Their doing alright but they could use some more supplies or some spare hands." Zuko nodded. "Oh, and Bumi told me to give you this." Aang offered Zuko a sealed scroll.

Zuko plucked the scroll from Aang's fingers and tucked it inside his robe. "I'll see if I can spare some people for the Earth Kingdom."

"Bumi would appreciate that." Aang nodded.

Katara looked at the two of them, zoning out to their conversation. Aang was still shorter than Zuko but he was catching quickly catching up. Aang still looked like a kid but he was changing fast, the way he spoke was different from before, more mature. She supposed that the Avatar had to be grown up to handle the Nations problems. Toph nudged her in the side and she looked down at the girl.

"It's rude to stare." Toph whispered with a grin.

"I wasn't staring..." Katara stopped and glared at Toph. "Very funny."

"I know." Toph laughed, Aang and Zuko looked up. "Come on Twinkle Toes, I'll show you around again, Zuko keeps building things."

"I'm restoring the palace to..."

"Yeah yeah." Toph waved her hand at him and hooked her arm in Aang's. "He even added a training room for me, dragged earth in just for me." They walked away with Toph still talking.

"I'll see you at dinner Katara." Aang called over his shoulder.

"Bye Aang." She called back.

"Strange seeing him again?" Zuko was staring at her, that strange look on his face again.

"A little." Katara admitted. She studied his face. "What was that look for?"

"What look?"

"The one you gave me when you came into the hall." She narrowed her eyes at him. "I saw it."

Zuko shrugged. "I saw you hugging Aang, it was strange is all." He huffed and pulled the scroll back out of his robe. "Walk with me?"

"Where are we going?" She fell into step beside him.

"Training?" He grinned and slipped a finger between the roll of the scroll to break the seal. His eyes skimmed the page and his face darkened.

"What?" She looked over at the paper but he rolled it up.

"Nothing, just some bad news." He tucked it in his robe once again and opened the door to the training room.

There was a large barrel of water to one side of the room. Katara grinned. "Do I get my own training room like Toph?"

"She gave me no choice, it was that or she was going to ruin the gardens. I like the gardens...they were my mothers." Katara glanced at the door quickly and took his hand in hers. Zuko looked at her and smiled. "Besides it's not really a room, just a bare patch of ground with walls and a roof."

Katara laughed. "Toph would love it."

Zuko stretched away from her to close the door behind them. "It would be better if she stopped metal bending the walls in and out of shape, eventually the roof is just going to cave in." He turned back to her and pulled his hand from hers.

Katara frowned slightly and walked over to him. "If I hear a crash I'll let you know. I'm sure Aang will keep her busy for a while now he's home." The tiniest hint of jealousy sparked at the idea of them spending time together. "Toph always liked him...after Sokka of course." She began to laugh but stopped when she meet Zuko's eyes.

Zuko nodded silently. He looked down at her, the strange look appearing on his face once more. His lips pulled into a thin line and his eyebrows came together. Katara sighed and stood toe to toe with him, wishing she was taller so she could look him directly in the face.

"What is wrong? Is it the letter?" She laid her hands on his chest; she heard the paper of the scroll crinkle under her palms.

Zuko shrugged. "The letter is nothing new, I've been receiving them for months now. It's nothing I can't handle."

"Who is sending them?"

"Bumi, I've gotten one from your father, one from the southern water tribe. I even get them from noblemen in every nation."

Katara sighed. "Get what?"

"Lists of eligible women that they want me to marry." Zuko's eyes focused on something across the room.

Katara froze and pushed him away. "My father sent you one?"

Zuko nodded. "You were on the very top." He still refused to look at her.

"How long did you know?" She crossed her arms, anger bubbled up in her chest. Behind her the water barrel started to shake.

"I got the letter a few days after you left." Zuko finally looked back at Katara. "I didn't have a way to tell you, to warn you."

Katara's finger dug into her arms. "You would have sent hawky."

"Hawk's can't fly that far over open water. There's nowhere for them to rest." Zuko ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. "I couldn't do anything, Katara. I wanted to warn you, I almost sent a balloon after you until Toph pointed out that I had to stay here."

"You should have found a way rather than let my father set me up like that!" The water barrel exploded behind her, sending water pouring across the floor. It brushed over Zuko's feet like a tiny wave. "How could he tell you before he even told me?" The water froze, sealing Zuko to the floor.

"I tried." He stretched out his hand but she leant away from him. "Do you really think so little of me?" She began to answer, he smiled ruefully. "Don't answer that. But no matter what you think of me you can't think I would do that to you after the same thing has been happening to me do you?" His finger twitched in the air, brushing the sleeve of her shirt.

Katara was silent for a moment, until she dropped her arms, putting herself in his reach. Gently Zuko grasped her arm and pulled her across the ice to him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her against his chest. Katara took a deep breath and rested her head on his shoulder. He squeezed her tighter and bent his head to her hair.

"You're horrible at holding grudges you know?" He said into her hair.

Katara pulled a hand free to punch him. "Only when it comes to you."

Zuko laughed softly and kissed the top of her head. Katara lifted her head in surprise, Zuko smiled. "I've kissed you before."

"I guess I can't get used to the Fire Lord being so gentle and kind. I still remember when you stole my necklace and had me tied to a tree." She glared at him half heartedly.

Zuko spun them around and put her back to the door. "I'll save you from the pirates."

"That was so cheesy." Katara smirked, but her heart was pounding in her chest just the same as it was that night, so many years ago.

"I like cheesy." He protested.

"That's because you are..." She lost her breath as Zuko's hands trailed down her side and gripped her hips. "Cheesy." She let out a long breath.

Zuko's gold eyes glinted in the dark, he could feel her heart racing against his own and the gentle shiver in her arms when she looped them around his neck. He smiled down at her. He could never get over how different she was to Mai, how wonderfully different.

Zuko leant close to her and slipped the robe from his shoulders, dropping it to the floor and his lips brushed her as he spoke. "Ready?"

She smirked and pulled water to her hands. "Always."

Zuko leapt back and his hands erupted in flames, they danced along his fingers and forearm. He flew towards her, bending flames in an arc before him. Katara dodged to the side, sliding along the ground and bending ice in his path. Zuko slid into the wall but kept his balance. He jumped away from the ice and came at her. Katara met his blows with water, steam began to fill the room as he drove her back. He swept wave after wave of fire at her, always keeping it from touching her. She didn't realise he was driving her towards the barrel of water.

"Is this the best you can do?" Katara yelled over the roar of his flames and whipped water at him, glancing off his stomach.

"No." Zuko yelled back and grinned, giving one last shove with his fire.

Katara stepped back, her back forced up against the barrel. She smiled and reached behind her, immersing her hands in the water. "Bad move."

She pulled the water to her, taking every last drop from the barrel and coating herself. It was her turn. She ran towards him, the water taking the brunt force of the heat. Zuko danced away laughing. They circled each other, dodging and attacking in a dance. Katara bent the water away from her mouth and nose every minute or so to take a breath. Zuko sweated in his own heat, the steam was getting to him but Katara was well protected.

"That looks like a good idea." He said and let his fire die. Zuko leapt forward, straight into her water bubble.

Katara almost dropped her bubble when he joined her but managed to hold onto it. She shook her head and pointed out but Zuko just smiled. He half stepped, half swam towards her. The bubble rippled as she lost a little concentration. She glared at him, trying to figure out his plan without speaking. He hovered closer to her. Katara shook her head again, her hair fluttered around her face. Zuko pushed forward and kissed her. The bubble popped.

They both dropped to the ground in a giant puddle. Zuko laughed. Katara rolled over and punched him. "You cheated again!"

"We never set rules Katara, besides Uncle taught me to think of every possibility to win."

Katara sat up and swept the water off the floor into the barrel. "I wasn't prepared for that." She huffed.

"That was the point." He sat up and moved to her side. "I knew it would work." He nudged her. "You're not angry are you? I can't stand it when you're angry at me, I never understand why."

Katara swirled around and kissed him. She lingered longer then he had, tasting the fire and his sweat on his lips. Zuko kissed back, his hands moved to pull her closer when she jumped back a smirk on her face.

"No hard feelings." She lay back, letting the water soaked floor cool her.

Zuko scowled and leant towards her. "Hey guys?" Aang's voice called from the door.

Zuko meet Katara's eyes and silently sighed. "Remind me to get a lock for these doors." He whispered to her. "Get bored of the tour Avatar Aang?" Zuko's tone was playful, his eyes stayed on Katara.

"Toph got lost actually; I said we should get you to give a tour." There was a momentary pause. "Fire Lord Zuko."

Katara laughed quietly and sat up. "I thought you knew your way around here Toph?"

"I do, but Twinkle Toes here wanted to get the professional tour." Katara turned to face her friend; her eyes were glancing between Katara and Zuko. "I tried to convince him I knew it all but he didn't believe me."

Katara felt herself blush and looked away; Zuko glanced at her then Toph. "I would be glad to give you a tour Aang."

Aang smiled and stepped into the room, spinning the water into the remaining barrels and coming to a stop beside Zuko. He offered the older boy his hand, Zuko grasped it and got to his feet. He bent the air around him hotter to dry his clothes and offered Katara his own hand at the same time Aang did. Katara looked between them, neither backed down, or even looked at each other. She grit her teeth and glared at Zuko, he smiled. Purposefully she took both of their hands and let then lift her to her feet.

"Thanks." She smiled at Aang.

He grinned and looked around the room, pieces of the broken barrel lay on the floor. "You guys know how to make a mess." He commented.

"It's more fun when it's messy." Zuko replied smoothly. Katara sighed.


End file.
